Brotherly Bonds
by SansSerifSegoe
Summary: This is a followup story to Asriel's Adventures. The backstory of Aberon Dreemurr, and how he came to be the Mad King
1. The Scar

Our story begins the night after the battle of Dreemurr Castle, and the death of the Cursed Monster Prince, Aberon Dreemurr. However, with the death of their king, the subjects of Paradise, Aberon's kingdom, had nowhere to stay. Naturally, with Dreemurr Castle having so many extra bedrooms, combined with the hospitality of the Dreemurrs themselves, Toriel and Asgore Dreemurr offered to give the inhabitants of Paradise places to stay until they could find a place of their own, even offering them help finding work. Toriel, being the kind soul that she was, did everything she could to cater to their guests needs; needless to say, the pantries were never barren of food or drink. Asgore and Frisk handled registry of the new monsters, and without the need for explanation, by the end of the week, everyone in the family was exhausted. It was almost impossible keeping everyone fed and it was even more exhausting trying to process all the paperwork.

After the third night of straight work, Asgore's head sank onto his desk with a loud thud. The impact of his head shook the corridor, and reverberated down the hallway, rattling everyone residing in the rooms down the corridor. Grag, an Ironhead Goblin, Former General of the Paradise Elite and Aberon's advisor, now Asriel's closest Monster friend, shot forward in his bed.

"MAN THE CANNONS!" He screamed, pulling the eye mask off his face, and startling Chillby awake. Chillby was an Ice Monster, and surprisingly, she was the heavier sleeper.

"Oi! Grag, what the hell? I was dreaming, and you just had to wake me up like the ass you are!" complained Chillby. Grag growled, and flopped back onto his pillow.

"I heard a sound, and I reacted. I can't help remembering the war, Chillb." Sighed Grag.

"Hey, I was there, too! At least I can sleep through the night with it…!" said Chillby, as frantic footsteps made their way down the hall. Suddenly, the door swung open, and Toriel stuck her head in.

"I heard screaming, is everything alright?" she asked.

"Yeah, Grag apparently has PTSD from the war. Go figure." Groaned Chillby.

"Do not! I heard something go boom, and I reacted. What do you want?" shouted Grag.

"Inside voices, Grag. People are trying to sleep, too. Though, I doubt it makes much difference; I heard it, too. It probably came from Asgore's office… again." Sighed Toriel in annoyance. "That's the second time tonight. He clearly needs sleep, but he's whipping his body to death, and I've had my fill of it. I'm going to march right into his office, and drag him to bed by the ear if he refuses again."

"Good luck lugging his ass out of there. He's built like a tank." Grunted Grag, replacing his eye mask on his face.

"A woman has her ways, Grag. After all, I've known him since he was but a little boy. I know his weaknesses." Toriel says, giggling as she shuts the door and walks to Asgore's office, to find him rubbing his head, semi-alert, but still groggy.

"Dreemurr? Bed. Now." Said Toriel flatly.

"Tori, I'm not done. I have many more monsters to regist-" started Asgore.

"You can handle it in the morning. You woke up everyone in the corridor with that head of yours." Grunted Toriel, folding her arms.

"I'll be there in a minute." Grumbled Asgore. Toriel strode over, and grabbed Asgore by the ear.

"No, Dreemurr. _Now."_ Snapped Toriel.

"Ow! OW! OW! Okay, okay, geez! What is it with you and pulling ears! You do it to everyone!" growled Asgore.

"It kept him in line when we were dating, it'll do the same for you." Replied Toriel, without even thinking about what she was saying, or even who she was saying it to. She heard Asgore sigh, and brush her grip away.

"Alright. At least let me finish this one, it's just one more signature." Said Asgore, picking up a pen and signing the document on his desk. He stood up from his desk, and left the room without a word. Toriel, sensing something was wrong, followed him to the bedroom, where he was removing his shirt. The scar from the battle just a few days prior still hadn't healed, and he winced in pain.

"Damn it. Why did this have to happen? If I'd only seen the signs sooner, I could've stopped him, then. I could've stopped him from hurting you, Frisk, Sans, everyone…" he sighed.

"Asgore, no! You stop that right now. No one could have seen this coming." Started Toriel, moving to the bed.

"I'm not referring to now. I'm referring to back then… when we were just children… before he even turned to Dark Magic. He was always so kind, but simple-minded when we were young. I did everything I could to make him happy, but… It was never enough. He always wanted more." Said Asgore. "And the moment things went right for him, everything went wrong for the others involved."

"Which explains why the trident chose you over him. And not just that; you know… heh… one of the biggest mistakes I made, next to leaving you, was not choosing you first. I never even knew until we were adults."

"Encouraging as that is, it doesn't change the fact that I didn't speak up, sooner. But let's not dwell on the past, alright?" asked Asgore, turning to Toriel, who sat down on the bed next to him, and crossed her legs. She cocked her head to one side, and smiled gently.

"I think that was the first time in my life I actually felt like I was in love. Aberon… oh, he was charming, and he had his own charming little quirks, like you, Mr. Fluffybuns." Laughed Toriel, scratching Asgore under his chin.

"Tori…" chuckled Asgore, as his right leg twitched instinctively with the rhythm of Toriel's scratching. Toriel grinned.

"Let's get to bed, Gorey, huh?" asked Toriel, climbing under the covers. Asgore looked out the window, scoffed, and then joined his wife under the covers.

While Toriel fell asleep easily, chirbling lightly as she did, Asgore laid staring up at the ceiling, his eyelids drooping lower with every second that passed, memories echoing in his head. 

* * *

"Aberon, you know what Dark Magic can do to a person!" whimpered Asgore. "It will kill you! You have to stop!"

"I won't stop until I get what's mine! What you _took from me!_ " shouted Aberon. 

* * *

Asgore rolled over on his side, and held the wound on his chest gingerly. He squeezed his eyes shut, and inhaled sharply.

"Stop… no…" he whispered... before a white furry arm draped over him, and shook him gently.

"Asgore… I know what's bothering you… it's what happened, isn't it? What you had to do to him?" whispered Toriel. She reached for his hand, and Asgore gripped it tightly in his own.

"I never wanted this." Whimpered Asgore. "I had no choice. What else was I supposed to do?"

"Oh, Asgore…" sighed Toriel, sitting him up in bed, and placing her hands on the wound. A soft green glow emanated from her hands.

"Tori, you know that will never heal-" started Asgore, before her lips locked with his.

"I know. Now be quiet while I try to numb the pain." She said after.

"It's not… ugh… never mind. Keep going." Grunted Asgore.

"I know it's not. I know so little about your relationship with your brother. Maybe… talking it out will help?" suggested Toriel.

"Toriel, just leave the subject be. He's dead, and I'm happy."

" _No. No, you're not, Goddamn it! Holding in these emotions and lying to yourself about them will only worsen your state of mind! I know this as well as you do!"_ hissed Toriel, tearing up. "It tears me apart seeing you like this, Asgore Renbrandt Dreemurr." This caught Asgore's attention; Toriel never used his full name unless she was under extreme duress, and that was a very rare occurrence in its own right.

"I know it will help you move on." She continued. "It helped me, didn't it? It helped me come back to you."

"It did… but why did you _really_ leave? It had to have been more than just killing that child." Said Asgore, his voice hoarse from exhaustion.

"Promise me you won't be mad, alright?" said Toriel.

"I'm too tired to be mad." Sighed Asgore.

"When I saw you kill that first child, I felt unnerved. Something dark was forming in your mind, and it scared me. It reminded me of him, and for a fraction of a second, when you turned with that soul in the jar… I saw him. Those piercing orange eyes, the black hair. I panicked."

"So that's why you attacked me. You thought I was him." Mumbled Asgore.

"And when you fought back… be it out of self defense or anger, it didn't matter. I remembered that night, when he almost killed me… because of the miscarriage… and I thought it was going to happen again. So I ran. I didn't care where, I just ran. I didn't want to go through that again." Cried Toriel.

"Toriel, you know I would never hurt you intentionally. When I realized what I'd done, I went looking for you, but I couldn't find you. Where did you even go for all those years? You never told me." Asked Asgore.

"You never asked." Sniffled Toriel, wiping the tears. "I went to our old home in the Ruins. I placed a barrier on the door leading in, and only special people could see it. People like Sans and Papyrus… and I think Alphys, but she never said. I only remember the occasional whir of a camera focusing. But you would never have found me if I hadn't gone to you."

"You always were creative… even in fear and anger, you were still as crafty as you were as a child." Sighed Asgore gently.

"Do you remember the day we first met?" asked Toriel.

"Oh, how could I forget that day? We were such immature kids, back then. Fighting in front of your mother and my father during the caretaker interview. It was so embarrassing for our father…"

"Did you two always fight like that?" asked Toriel.

"Usually it was just a friendly spar, or pretend… but when it came to you? Oh… yes… fists did fly." Smiled Asgore. "I remember what happened the night before we met you."

"Maybe that's a good place to start…?" asked Toriel.

"Indeed it is…" chuckled Asgore. "Well, let's see…"


	2. Arrival Of The Seer

"I remember that it was a rainy day in January. The sky was dark gray, and it was threatening hail. Aberon and I had heard that there was going to be a fortune-teller from a far-away land passing through town on a sight-seeing trip, and one of the stops was this very castle. Jorin, my father, had extended an invitation to the woman, who was arriving in the town via train, but we never got a reply. My father assumed that meant yes."

* * *

"Dad, c'mon! Why are we even awake?! It's, like, 6 in the morning!" Aberon complained, rubbing his eyes tiredly as the Dreemurr family carriage rumbled down the dirt road towards the train station. Dr. Gaster stared across at Aberon disapprovingly, his sharp cheekbones resting gently in his hands; he had not slept in ages, and Aberon complaining about being woken up bothered him. I, on the other hand, was excited at the prospect of meeting a psychic. At the time, I didn't even know that Gaster had similar capabilities, so meeting this woman was a genuine treat.

"Aberon, come on! Aren't you excited to meet this fortune teller?! I've heard that she's accurate about ninety-eight percent of the time!" I beamed, smiling over at my exhausted brother. "Hey! Maybe she'll even tell us who's next in line for the throne!"

I meant this as a joke, of course, but I could tell from his smile that Aberon thought otherwise, as if the very notion of being told he would be king over me pleased him. Gaster noticed it, too, but said nothing… no, actually, he did loose a sound of acknowledgement, almost amusement.

"Yeah, and maybe she'll tell us what's written in our diaries, and who we're going to marry when we get older…" scoffed Aberon.

"I would not take this woman's abilities lightly, if I were you, Aberon. KuBaba Belatsunat predicted that you two would be born, and that I would be left alone with you two under my watchful eye upon your mother's passing. She's even predicted the lottery numbers, once upon a time." Smiled Jorin.

"Whoa… how much did she win?" I asked.

"Not much. Only ten thousand Gilda. That's only a fraction of what we have, son." Said Jorin.

"So she's in the middle class. Neat." Grinned Aberon with a chuckle.

"You say that like it's a joke, Aberon." I said hotly.

"It is pretty funny, actually." Smirked Aberon to me.

"How so?" I asked, growing annoyed now.

"A woman with that kind of ability would be making a killing out there. Why isn't she rich beyond belief?" asked Aberon.

"Because she chooses to live the way she does, that's why. She may have abilities, son, but at heart, she is very modest, and does not abuse her gifts." Huffed Jorin.

"How do you explain the lottery, then?" I asked, curious.

"She had a debt that needed paying, and that was the only way she could think to do it, since she didn't have too much money at that time." Explained Jorin. "She never did it again, after that, and she's been living off of her own profits and skills ever since."

"Whoa…! So cool!" I grinned, as Gaster and Aberon scoffed in unison.

"Please… Fortune telling is nothing more than guessing at someone's future based on the lines in their hands. Like there's any real truth to it." Grunted Aberon.

"Oh, there's truth in it. I would know… I've had a few good predictions myself." Smiled Gaster. "But, then again, it all comes down to the science of it all."

"Pfft… egghead…" demeaned Aberon, causing Gaster's eyes to flare with a faint red light.

"I beg your pardon, my friend? You forget yourself, sometimes."

"As do you, Gaster. We all do." Smiled Jorin, trying to defuse the tension.

"Brother, why are you being so rude?" I asked.

"Because this is idiotic! We're being dragged out of bed at the crack of dawn just to meet some woman who says she can predict the future!" shouted Aberon.

"Enough. Aberon, this woman is a family friend, and I will not have you speaking ill of her. I'm growing weary of your attitude, so knock it off, or I'll leave you on the side of the road to walk home. Is that clear?!" growled Jorin, as Aberon rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, sure." Sighed Aberon, closing his eyes to get some sleep.

"What am I going to do with him?" whispered Jorin.

"You could leave him on the road, regardless." Said the driver.

"Not funny, Maurice." Said Aberon.

* * *

"Another hour passed in silence before the lot of us arrived at the train station. I had fallen asleep next to Aberon, and Jorin was leaning on the side of the carriage. Despite his occasional attitude, I still loved my brother, and at the time, the two of us were like Glamburgers and Fries… though, with much less glitter." Said Asgore.

Toriel let loose a giggle.

"Even back then, he had that snarky attitude." She laughed.

"Yes… anyway, we finally arrived at the train station, just as the train itself arrived. And at the end of every train ride, there was a loud…"

* * *

TWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEET!

Aberon jumped in his seat, and banged his head on the roof of the carriage.

"Ow! F-Fudgenuggets!" snapped Aberon. I laughed as I woke up with a small start.

"It's not funny! That hurt!" growled Aberon.

"Maybe that will teach you not to let your guard down as a ruler." Smiled Jorin.

"One of us is going to be king, Abby." I said.

"Yeah, and as the eldest, it'll obviously be me." Grinned Aberon, exiting the carriage.

"Age doesn't define the ruler, Aberon! And besides, It was only by four minutes and thirty-eight seconds!" I said, following suit.

"Still older, bro! And let's not forget about your little nervous tick!" smiled Aberon.

"Nervous ti-" I started, before Aberon tapped me on the nose. My tongue instinctively flipped out of my snout.

"Gyagh! You know I hate it when you do that!" I shouted.

"That's why I do it, twerp!" laughed Aberon.

"At least I don't wet the bed anymore!" I grinned, running into the train station.

"Why, you little…! Get back here!" Aberon shrieked, chasing after me.

"Boys, no roughhousing! I won't be held responsible for any of your foolishness!" called Jorin, attempting to catch up with us.

"Joke's on you! I'm faster!" I called to Aberon, sliding under one of the benches inside. Aberon hopped over the bench, and stepped on my tail.

"OW!" I yelped, pushing him off of me and turning to run, only to bump into a small doglike monster with blue fur and many ear piercings, who tripped over her luggage.

"Oof!" grunted the woman.

"Oh, sorry, ma'am!" I said, helping her up.

"Well…! Looks like this country still knows how to show old KuBaba a warm welcome!" laughed the monster. "And I never would have guessed it to be Asgore Dreemurr that did the welcoming."

"K-KuBaba?! Y-You're the one we were coming to meet!" I said, just as Aberon appeared behind me.

"Brother, how rude, knocking over this poor woman! My apologies, miss, my brother can be rather clumsy." He said.

"Hey!" I said.

"He was at least the more courteous of the two of you brothers. Aberon Dreemurr, correct?" smiled KuBaba.

"Yes, ma'am. And what an honor it is to meet-"

"I'm only interested in nice people." Said KuBaba, shutting Aberon down.

"What?! But I am nice!" stammered Aberon.

"Oh, yes, says the one who steps on his brother's tail on a regular basis, and goes out of his way to prove that he's the better brother by attempting to brown-nose people who know better." Smiled KuBaba, causing me to snicker. "Yes, you clearly are very nice."

"Oh, he's nice once you get to know him, Miss KuBaba." I laughed. "He's just a little crabby since he woke up so early."

"Clearly, you don't mind, little early bird." Grinned KuBaba, just as Jorin and Gaster joined us.

"Aaaaahhhh, Jorin, my dear friend, it is so wonderful to see you again!" said KuBaba, stepping into the palm of Jorin's hand, and kissing him on both sides of the snout. "How is Anastasia?"

Jorin swallowed and gave a rather forced smile. KuBaba averted her gaze.

"I was hoping that part of the prediction was but a fluke. I apologize." She whimpered.

"It's not your fault. We knew something would happen if we tried to bear children. But having twins was what pushed her. I am convinced. But I don't blame them. It's just luck of the draw." Said Jorin, placing KuBaba on his shoulder.

"Well, they're certainly strong little boys. You've done well as a parent, old friend… much like you will be, scientist." Said KuBaba, turning to Gaster. Gaster's face went blue.

"W-Wait, what! No! Ew! The only girl I know is named Science! Besides, girls don't go for intellectuals like me!" stammered Gaster.

"Are you kidding? Girls go for smart! You just need to find her!" smiled KuBaba. Gaster averted his gaze.

"Well, there is one girl…" he smiled. Aberon and I squealed, as we ran towards him.

"Gaster's got a cru-ush! Gaster's got a cru-ush!" we chanted.

"D-Do not!" stuttered Gaster.

"Ah, yes… Ebrima Lockhart. You skeletons and your font names…" smiled KuBaba.

"I knew it! I saw the way you were looking at her the other day!" I laughed.

"Knew what?" asked a voice behind them. Gaster whirled around, and saw a small skeleton with a round cranium, yellow dress, and a long red scarf.

"E-Ebrima! How long have you been sitting there?" asked Gaster.

"Oh! I've just been sitting here reading, waiting for my aunt to get here, and I heard someone say my name." said Ebrima. "So what are you all talking about?"

"W-Well- um… We were just talking about-" said Gaster starting to move towards her, but slips and falls on his face.

"Looks like you found yourself in a slippery situation." Chuckled Ebrima.

"Oh… Icy what you did there." Mumbled Gaster, causing Ebrima to laugh.

"You're funny, Gaster! We should hang out at the Funny Bone! It's a comedy bar on the east side of town!" smiled Ebrima, picking Gaster up.

"Uh… Uh, Y-Yeah…! That'd be fun!" smiled Gaster.

"Just let me know when you're available! I think my aunt just stepped off the train! I'll ketchup with you later!" called Ebrima, running off to meet her aunt.

"I relish the thought!" called Gaster after her. He turned, and all four people in his group were smiling their dirtiest smiles.

"Sh-Shut up!" gasped Gaster.

"Gaster and Ebrima, sitting in a tree! K-I-S-S-I-N- Eep!" We sang, before Gaster summoned a Gaster Blaster, silencing the bustle of the train station.

"If either of you keep singing that song, I will end our friendship right here, and vaporize you." Said Gaster, his eyes glowing red. "I don't even care if your father is there."

"Okay, okay! We'll stop!" we chuckled. "L-Let's head back to the castle…!"

"Agreed. Besides, I believe you through would like to see the true extent of my gifts at home." Smiled KuBaba.

"Yes, yes, yes!" I grinned, bouncing up and down.


	3. Futures Foretold

"Were you always so energetic?" asked Toriel.

"In my youth, I was quite hyperactive… and curious… I certainly never minded a challenge when met with one." Said Asgore. "I always was quite stubborn, in that regard."

Outside the door, Frisk and Asriel were listening in, quietly laughing.

"So that's where you got it from, fluffybutt!" snickered Frisk.

"Frisk, knock it off! Do you want them to hear us?!" hissed Asriel.

"We know… you're there." Sighed Asgore, causing the two to tense.

"I thought you two would have learned by now, that we hear everything in the house, and how _rude_ it is to eavesdrop!" snarled Toriel. Asgore raised a massive hand.

"It's alright, Toriel. They _are_ the ones who killed him. They have a right to know how he came to be the way he was." Said Asgore. Frisk and Asriel pushed through the door into the room, heads towards the ground.

"Sorry, Dad. We just heard voices, and we decided to investigate. We didn't think that it would be about… him." Said Asriel, scratching the back of his furry head.

"Honestly, it's about time I opened up about it. I mean, it was only after we arrived back here at the castle with KuBaba that we got a premonition of what was to come." Said Asgore.

"What happened?" asked Frisk.

* * *

It was after we'd arrived at the castle and had our lunch. KuBaba placed her suitcase on the table and opened it up. Inside was a few sets of clothes, a few books, the most prominent and ironic one being _Mind Reading For Dummies,_ and a small crystal ball.

"Well, now. Let's see who wants to go first-" started KuBaba, before my hand immediately shot into the air and I began bouncing up and down.

"Me, me, me! I want to go first!" I shouted, as Aberon rolled his eyes, and Gaster scoffed in amusement.

"Always the eager one, eh, Abby?" he laughed. Aberon sighed.

"Yep… it honestly gets annoying from time to time, but I have to admit, I love him for it." He replied, with a small smile.

"Alright, little one, settle down, settle down." Smiled KuBaba, as she removed the crystal ball from her suitcase. "I mean it, stop bouncing."

I stopped bouncing and cleared my throat.

"S-Sorry. I'm just excited. It's the first time I've ever had my fortune told by someone so highly revered by my father!" I said.

"Understandable on all accounts. I'm second to none in my field." Said KuBaba, taking out a deck of tarot cards. "Now, I'm going to spread these cards out on the table, and you will take any three from them. These will represent your past, present, and future."

"So… any three…?" I asked. KuBaba nodded, as I chose my cards carefully.

"Keep them face down." Instructed KuBaba, as she gathered the other seventy-five cards, and placed them to her right. She flipped the card to my left, and revealed a card with a small ball and chain, overshadowed by a tall shadow.

"Hmm… interesting… The Prisoner in upright position… You felt, or currently feel, some sense of doubt or lack of worth, most likely caused by being overshadowed by someone higher than you." Said KuBaba, her eyes shifting towards Aberon.

"What?!" asked Aberon. KuBaba's eyes shifted back towards me with a quick raise and lowering of her eyebrows.

"You're right. About a year ago, I felt like something was bothering me, like I wouldn't be good for the position expected of me." I said. "Aberon always beat me at everything… but that was before I figured him out."

"He's gotten some wins in since then, Miss KuBaba." Said Aberon.

"I see. So it _was_ your brother… Sorry, let's keep moving." Said KuBaba, reaching for the center card and flipping it over. A picture of a woman pouring water into a pool underneath a star was printed upon it.

"Mmm… The Star… now that's a good one, since it's in the upright position. It symbolizes hope, spirituality, inspiration, renewal and serenity. Tell me, Asgore, do you lead a calm life? Reading books and writing plays? You look like a writer… but you're terrible with names."

"Ha… you got that right…" I snickered. "But lately, I haven't been very inspired. Do you think anything will change that?"

"Well, renewal and inspiration go hand in hand. Perhaps you will find a renewal of your inspiration in the very near future with the coming of a new servant." Said KuBaba.

"How would that work out?" I asked. KuBaba snickered with delight.

"I think you'll have to wait and see for that one." Said KuBaba, reaching for the third and final card. She flipped it over. KuBaba grinned, as a bearded man sitting upon a throne appeared before me.

"Ah… see…? I told you. The Emperor in the upright position. It symbolizes authority, father-figure, structure, a solid foundation. If chosen, you will make a fine ruler for this surface world." Said KuBaba. "However, my senses are telling me that with this future will come many harsh choices for you to make. They will test your morals, and what you deem to be the correct decisions. Choose wisely, young Prince."

I stared down at the cards, stunned. I was just told that I would be ruler, the second-born child… a _king?_ The news certainly seemed to displease Aberon, and he made it known with a small grunt.

"W-Whoa… I-I'm going to be a ruler…?" I gasped.

"The cards are merely predictions. It's not guaranteed, _but…_ they are seldom ever wrong in my hands." Grinned KuBaba, turning to Gaster.

"How about you, genius? You say you've had some good predictions in the past." She said with a small grin.

"Well, theories… but no… I think I know what's going to happen in my future. Aberon? How about you?" asked Gaster, patting Aberon on the back. "You didn't seem too pleased with Asgore's reading. Maybe yours will be better?" Aberon stared at Gaster briefly; he was angry, but he didn't want to show it. Aberon smiled.

"What?! I'm thrilled! My brother's going to have a bright future! Why wouldn't I be happy?" he laughed with a forced grin.

"Brother, I can read you like an open book. I know that smile; you're faking it." I observed, rather disappointed in him.

"You _are_ a horrible liar, child." Said KuBaba. "But perhaps you will have an equally good fortune…?"

"Nah, don't worry about it! I'm sure I'll be fine! Come here, bro!" said Aberon, grabbing me around the neck and giving me a rather painful noogie.

" _Ow!_ Brother! Stop! You're hurting me!" I shouted.

"Sorry!" he grinned. KuBaba's eyes narrowed.

"Sit down, child… I sense something in you." Said KuBaba suddenly, urgently.

"Hm…? S-Sure." Said Aberon unsurely, taking his seat. KuBaba replaced the cards in her deck, and shuffled them.

"Looking at you, I feel something rather unsettling. I just hope I'm wrong." Said KuBaba quietly, as Aberon took three cards from the deck. KuBaba reached for the left card and flipped it.

"Oh… Three of Swords in upright position… You felt some sort of responsibility for your mother's death, and as such, it has affected your outlook on life." Said KuBaba. Aberon sighed.

"She died giving birth to us. I can't blame Asgore, because that's just not fair!" said Aberon.

"And blaming yourself is any better?" asked KuBaba.

"No… but… something has to be responsible for it." Said Aberon, his hands balling into fists.

"Child, what happened was not your fault. She was told for many years that bearing children would be risky for her because of her size and past health conditions. She took that risk because she loved her country and your father above all else." said KuBaba.

"I still wish I could have known her." Sniffled Aberon. KuBaba stared at Aberon, before flipping over the center card.

"King of Wands in reversed position… This one barely needs any explanation, as it is very easily observed in your nature; impulsiveness, hasty decisions, and you set very high expectations for others and yourself."

"Is that good or bad…?" asked Aberon.

"Well, it all comes down to viewpoint really. Now… the last one." Said KuBaba, reaching for the final card and starting to flip it. But as she did so… she recoiled.

"What?! What's wrong, KuBaba?" asked Jorin, who had been watching next to Gaster.

"I… I fear what will come… if I flip this card." She shivered.

"Is it bad…?" I asked. KuBaba could only nod.

"It can't be that bad…" said Aberon, flipping the card, and revealing a demonic creature with a black mane, surrounded by fires of varying colors.

"Wh-What is that…?!" shrieked Aberon. "Answer me, KuBaba!"

"I hoped I would never see that card pulled in a reading. Least of all from one of the Dreemurr line." Said KuBaba. "Once this card's been pulled… the person that drew it… their fate cannot be changed."

"What is it?" asked Aberon.

"The Beast in Upright Position. It symbolizes greed, destruction, betrayal, and excess power." Shuddered KuBaba. Aberon stared at the card in shock and horror.

"No… Y-You're wrong! This whole thing is a complete waste of time!" shouted Aberon, sweeping the cards off the table in anger and storming from the room.

"Aberon! Wait!" I called, running after him into the garden, which wasn't quite as well kept as it is now. As I caught up with him, he began to run faster.

"Brother, please! Slow down!" I shouted, making a grab at him. He turned, and hit me across the face. I fell to the ground, crying.

"Stay away from me!" he screamed. "You're always getting the raw deals! The better things in life! All because you're the baby of the family!"

"What?! N-No! I don't care about those things! I just want to make sure you're alright! I'm just as scared as you are!" I said, wiping the tears from my fur.

"I'm not _scared!_ I'm angry! I don't want to hurt you! I don't want to hurt anyone!" Aberon yelled, running his hands through his hair and moving towards the fountain. His reflection stared back at him. "What if she's right? What if I'm a disaster waiting to happen…?!"

"You're not! It's just a silly card! A- A children's game!" I said.

"But in the carriage, you said-"

"Forget what I said! I know I won't make a good king, and there's no way in the world I'd let something like what that _card_ predicted happen to you!" I said.

"You… You mean that?" asked Aberon.

"Of course! You're my brother! And Brothers stick together, no matter what!" I replied.

"Promise me that nothing will ever come between us… alright?!" said Aberon.

"I promise." I said.


	4. Blueberries and Blunders

"Wow, you weren't kidding about how close the two of you were as kids". Asriel chuckled.

"What happened next?" asked Frisk.

"Well, after that, the two of us carried on with our day as normal, but what happened next-" started Asgore.

"Will be continued tomorrow." Said Gaster, who had appeared in the doorway with dark circles under his eye sockets. The family turned, and saw Gaster grimacing angrily at them.

"Gaster! How long have you been there?" asked Toriel.

"Long enough to hear you talking about… _her._ " Growled Gaster. "You agreed you wouldn't talk about Ebrima, sire, and I would appreciate it if you wouldn't continue to talk about her."

"Who was she, Gaster?" asked Frisk.

"Just a friend who… n-nothing more." Sighed Gaster.

"Gaster, I know you're hiding something." Said Asriel. "I don't need Frisk's ability to tell me that much. She was more than a friend, wasn't she?"

Gaster stared blankly at them, turned and started down the hall.

"Get back to bed. All of you. We'll talk in the morning." Said Gaster. Frisk started after him, but as she reached the doorway, he had disappeared into the shadows.

"I'll get it out of him, sooner or later. Maybe Sans will know something. If he doesn't know anything, then we have a problem." She grunted, moving back towards the bed.

"Why's that, dear?" asked Toriel.

"Lying to friends and extended family is one thing, but lying to your own son is another matter entirely. Sans knows everything, so why wouldn't he know about Ebrima, too?" said Frisk. Just then, from the doorway, there came a loud yawn.

"Hey, hon…? Any reason you're out of bed…?" asked Sans, rubbing his eyes.

"Oh, honeybones! Hey! Um… I have a bit of a question for you, but I want to ask it in the morning." Said Frisk, jumping off the bed and guiding Sans back towards their bedroom.

"Why not ask now?" asked Sans.

"Because you're not at a hundred percent, and I want you to be fully awake for this one." Replied Frisk. Sans groaned and yawned again.

"Fine… But don't expect me to answer any questions until after my coffee." Groaned Sans, stretching and cracking his spine.

"That sounded good." Smiled Frisk.

"It _felt_ good." Laughed Sans. "Let's get back to bed. It's awfully cold without you in it."

"Aw… Sans, it's good to have you back." Frisk said, wrapping her arm around Sans and kissing him on top of the skull. Asriel stared after them, and then turned back to his parents.

"Mom, Dad…? I want to know more." He said.

"You'll hear more about it tomorrow, dear. For now, try and get some rest." Said Toriel.

"No, I want to hear more about how you met Mom. I'm fine on sleep. Flowey's been merciful for the last couple of weeks." Said Asriel, a sheepish grin spreading across his face.

"Well… what do you think, Tori? Should we tell him tonight?" Asgore asked.

"I don't know. Preferably not, due to the fact that we have so many of the monsters from Paradise still living in the castle, and I need to be up early to cook breakf-"

"Chillby and I have it covered, Mom. You deserve a break after all you've been doing this week."

"Well… Oh… fine. Go ahead, but I'm still going to bed. You two can stay up as late as you want." Sighed Toriel, flopping back onto her pillow. Asgore chuckled lightly, and pat his wife on the head.

"G'night, dear." He smiled, turning back to Asriel.

"Well, how did you guys meet?" asked Asriel, crossing his legs on the bed.

"Oh… let's see… It was maybe a year later. Our shenanigans as children caused one of our caretakers to have an emotional breakdown, and consequentially, she resigned." Said Asgore. "My father had sent out an advertisement in the town, and one of the applicants had a child who was just about our age, maybe a little older. Anyway, on the day of the interview, our father asked us to stay upstairs, and try to stay quiet. But we had other plans brewing."

* * *

Aberon was bouncing a ball up against the wall of our bedroom, while I read a book. Aberon groaned, and stopped bouncing the ball. I looked up from my book, and sighed.

"Lemme guess… You're bored, too." I said.

" _Ugh…_ Yes…! Why can't we ever do anything involving new servants! We should have a say, right?!" grunted Aberon.

"Yeah, but the last one _quit_ because of us!" I said.

"Not my fault she didn't know how to play detective!" said Aberon defensively.

"You murdered a squirrel and put a tiny fedora on him!" I cried. "What's worse is that you brought him inside!"

"Hey! I did _not_ murder it! It was dead of old age! Seriously, there were so many grey hairs on him, he might as well have been our father!" shouted Aberon.

"He's not that old! And you scared that girl half to death!" I shouted back.

"Doesn't matter now. She's gone, and the woman downstairs is likely to be even worse. Did you see her? She was _huge_! She had a mole with hair on it! _Hair, Asgore! Hair!_ " said Aberon in disgust.

"Never judge a book by its cover, Aberon." I said. "I just wish there was something we could… do…" As I spoke, I spotted two wooden swords and shields sticking out of our toy chest. Aberon followed my gaze, and raised his eyebrows.

"No." he said.

"Yes." I said.

"You know what happened last time we had a duel? I broke three of your fingers." Said Aberon, moving towards the toy chest and picking up the swords hesitantly.

"And? I think you're just a big, fat, furry chicken!" I goaded him.

"Say… what, now?" asked Aberon, as I started imitating a chicken.

"Bok-bok-bakaaawwwwwk!" I crowed, flapping my arms. Just then, Aberon tossed one of the swords at me, and I caught it.

"Arm yourself, you knave." He said flatly.

"Do you quarrel? For I am gifted in the ways of swordplay." I replied with a laugh.

"Please. You couldn't wield a butter knife." Aberon smarted, lunging towards me.

* * *

"Now… Miss Iris Galingale… If I may be so bold as to ask… are you really sure that you can handle two growing boys, given your… forgive me for saying… stature?" asked Jorin. The monster sitting across from him, a huge blob of a goat with tiny horns, laughed heartily, her voice resembling that of a croaking Belarussian frog.

"I can keep this little one under control. But two? I did not bring daughter along for no reason." Said Iris, patting the head of the small child next to her, drinking a glass of blueberry juice. The cup shook in her hands, and the girl in question flinched at her mother's heavy hands.

"Mother! Be careful! I almost spilled my juice." Said the girl. "And I have a name, mom! It's…"

"Sorry, dear. I forget my weight, sometimes!" smiled Iris. Above them, the sound of glass breaking could be heard. Jorin's head sank into his hands.

"Oh… no… not this again. I thought I took those away." Said Jorin.

"What was noise?" asked Iris.

"The boys. They found their toy swords again." Sighed Jorin. "Again, I ask, are you sure…?"

"Forgive impudence, sire, but your boys need discipline, and I am more than capable of providing it. You will not believe what my daughter has done in past." Said Iris.

"Mother, please. I'm at least trying to change." Said the girl, as the sound of rapid footsteps descended the stairs. "The pranks at school were just pranks!"

"What about the boy you scorched?" asked Iris.

"Hey, that one slapped me on the butt! He had it coming." Snapped the girl uncomfortably. "He broke my number one rule."

"Speaking of, there's… one other thing… they… don't respect rules… well, the younger one does, but his brother-" started Jorin, before the door to the room crashed open, and Asgore tumbled in, followed shortly by Aberon.

"Fight me like a man, you coward!" shouted Aberon, swiping at Asgore with his sword. Asgore deflected it, but in the process of doing so, knocked the cup of blueberry juice in the girl's hands into the air. The cup flipped, and doused the girl in blueberry juice. Her new white dress that she had worn for the interview was now dyed a deep purple around the neckline. Asgore and Aberon turned and saw the look on the girl's face. She was livid.

"Oh, no…" said Asgore.

"Crap…" said Aberon.

"Your Majesty, permission to start job, effective immediately?" asked Iris.

"Permission granted. Boys? Meet your new nannies." Smiled Jorin.

"Oh…" sighed Asgore in fear.

"I'm out! Bye!" cried Aberon.

"Aberon! Wait…!" called Asgore, before Iris materialize in front of the doorway blocking his exit.

"You no leave until you apologize." Growled Iris.

"D-Don't punish him, M-Miss Iris! It was my fault! It was my idea to start the duel, and I was the one who knocked the cup. For the first time in a long time, I was the one who broke the rules, not him! Let him go." Apologized Asgore. Iris glared down at Asgore with a cold expression, but reluctantly let Aberon pass. Aberon ran up the stairs, leaving Asgore to the new nannies. He turned to the girl, and grabbed a towel from one of the nearby drawers.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am. I know that's going to stain… H-Here… l-let me go grab one of my shirts, maybe they'll fit you." Offered Asgore, wiping down the girl's head. The girl glared at him while he did this, and scoffed.

"Next time, be more observant of what the hell you're doing…!" she grunted.

"Hm… It was all I could to keep from getting smacked in the head." Smiled Asgore.

"Are you guys always like that? He looked like he really wanted to hurt you." Said the girl.

"Not always, but… I called him a chicken, so it was kind of justified. And to be honest, our relationship's always been rocky since last year." Explained Asgore.

"What happened?" asked the girl.

"I got a better fortune than him from KuBaba." Said Asgore.

"I can see why. You're at least considerate… and honest… and you know when to apologize." Said the girl. "And to be fair, white isn't my best color. I prefer either purple or black."

"Well… Purple does look good on you." Laughed Asgore sheepishly, before noticing her ruby-red eyes, and how they sparkled in the sunlight shining through the window. He stared for a few seconds without even realizing it. The girl smiled.

"What are you looking at, prince…?" asked the girl. This snapped Asgore back to reality.

"N-Nothing. Sorry, I blank from time to t-time." Lied Asgore nervously.

"It's alright. I get that look from boys all the time. It was the eyes that did it, wasn't it?" grinned the girl.

"Y-yeah…" sighed Asgore in defeat; he'd been read like an open book.

"I don't think we were properly introduced." Said the girl, extending her hand. It was small and slender, and Asgore took it in his hand.

"Oh, right! I-I'm Asgore. Wh-What's your name?" he asked.

"Toriel Galingale, at your service, my lord." Said the girl.

"Please, don't be so formal. I'm just like you. I may be a prince, but I'm still just a kid." Said Asgore.

"Well, if you treat your subjects like you treat me, then you'll make it to the throne." Smiled Toriel.

"I'm a second-born. Second-borns never make it to the throne." Said Asgore.

"Age doesn't make a king. It's the king's duty to his countrymen and his country, and how well he fulfills the role that makes for a just ruler." Said Toriel.

Asgore stared down at Toriel in the present day, as she continued her quiet sleep-chirbling and smiled.

* * *

"I stared at her… for… I don't know how long. For the first time in my life, someone understood me." he said.

"But I don't get it! If you two hit it off like that at such a young age, why did she choose him?" asked Asriel.

"That… is something I will tell you tomorrow. It's late." Sighed Asgore.

"Alright… uh… good night, dad." Said Asriel.

"Good night, son." Said Asgore, as Asriel returned to his room. Asgore laid in bed, lost in thought.

"I never should have let him have his way." He sighed, before closing his eyes.


	5. A Truth Revealed

The next morning brought rain, and quite the heavy dose of it. Everyone felt the shadow of the clouds looming over them, and it made everyone sluggish. As promised the next morning, Asriel and Chillby were cooking breakfast for the Monsters who were still residing in the castle. Frisk was busy getting Segoe and Arial, her twin children, dressed for the day, which was proving to be quite the challenge, as the twins were either pulling each other's hair or Frisk's.

"Kids, come on! Breakfast is on the table, and you don't even have your shir- AAAAAAGGHHH-HA-HA HA!" shrieked Frisk, as Arial pulled a chunk of Frisk's hair out of her head. "Arial! This is why we dress you after breakfast, you little-"

"Watch it…" said Sans, as he brought in a basket of laundry. "We don't want them knowing those words too early."

"Do you not see the chunk of hair in your daughter's fist?! That's Segoe's schtick! Now, Arial's doing it!" shouted Frisk, rubbing the area where her hair was pulled. "Ow… I think she drew blood."

"Nah, the roots are still there. It'll grow back." Said Sans, turning to Arial with his signature 'serious look'. "But that was still very uncalled for, Arial, and you owe your mother an apology."

"Hungwy!" screamed Arial, throwing the fistful of hair in Sans' face. Sans' expression flattened, and he blew the hair of his skull.

"Why are we getting them dressed before breakfast, again?" asked Sans.

"We have guests in the house, Sans. Going down to breakfast in your PJs with guests is the equivalent of going to a fancy restaurant naked." Said Frisk.

"I think they'll make an exception for toddlers. Come on, you two. You look like you need somethin' eggcellent to eat." Smiled Sans, picking up the twins, who began giggling at Sans' pun. Frisk stared after them in disbelief. She scoffed and then chuckled.

"Can't tell who he's like more… Gaster or Ebrima…" said Frisk under her breath, slipping out of her nightgown and putting on a short-sleeve Tem-Shirt. The bright yellow and blue stripes of the shirt seemed to reflect Frisk's mood.

"Hoi… I'm Friskie!" she smiled in the mirror.

"Put some pants on, you dork!" said Grag, passing by Frisk's room. Frisk's face went red, as she pulled the tail of her shirt over her butt. She grabbed a pillow and moved to the doorway.

"Hey, Grag! There's this new thing called 'knocking'! You should try it!" called Frisk, throwing the pillow down the hall and hitting Grag in the back of the head. Frisk turned back to her bed, and pulled a pair of cargo pants from her basket. She put them on hurriedly, grabbed the pillow from the hall, tossed it haphazardly on the bed, and went downstairs to the dining room. A multitude of monsters were sitting around the table, including Papyrus and Gaster. Why Papyrus was there, Frisk didn't know.

But whatever the case, it gave Frisk even more opportunity to ask about Ebrima with the family present.

"Hey, Papy! What are you doing here?" asked Frisk.

"Father asked me to come! He said there's something he needed to tell me, but I don't know what it could possibly be! The Great Papyrus knows everything there is to know about anything!" beamed Papyrus.

"I think I know what he wants to tell you." Said Frisk. "That is, if he hasn't told you already."

"Told me about what?" asked Papyrus.

"Yeah, Dad never hid anything from us." Said Sans, turning to his father. He noticed that he was staring at his hands guiltily. Sans' eyes narrowed.

"I know that look. You sense something wrong, don't you, bro?" asked Papyrus, to which Sans nodded.

"Why don't the four of us take this into the kitchen?" asked Frisk.

"Sounds good to me." said Papyrus. Gaster continued to stare at his hands until Sans shook him. It was then that he snapped out of his trance.

"Yes, I would love some eggs!" said Gaster. Sans crossed his arms.

"Dad…? Kitchen. All four of us. Right now." He said hotly. Gaster knew the tone in Sans' voice, and he knew what was coming. The four of them went into the kitchen, where Chillby and Asriel were just about finished cleaning up the dishes from their cooking.

"Hey, guys? Could we have this room to ourselves for a few minutes?" asked Frisk quietly.

"Well, sure! We were just about to head out and enjoy some of our cooking!" smiled Chillby, turning to Asriel.

"Actually, I think this is for me, too." Said Asriel.

"No, Azzy, just us. You go enjoy some breakfast, we'll be there in a few." Said Sans.

"Alright, if you say so. Come on, Chill. Let's go join the crowd." Smiled Asriel, pushing through the large doors of the kitchen.

"Before we continue, I want to ask you two something." Stated Frisk.

"Of course, dearest sister-in-law! Ask away!" grinned Papyrus.

"What do you know about a skeleton named Ebrima?" asked Frisk. Papyrus rubbed the back of his skull, and Sans readjusted his jacket uncomfortably.

"Strange you should ask. I've never heard the name before, but somehow, it seems very familiar… and oddly depressing. Sans? What about you?" asked Papyrus.

"Never heard of her. Why do you ask, hun?" asked Sans. Frisk took a deep breath, rubbed her temples, and tented her fingers.

"Okay, so… let me get this straight… No one… not even your own father… has ever brought that name up with you before now?" growled Frisk. Both skelebros shook their heads. Frisk turns to Gaster, but instead finds an empty chair. She turns to the door, and sees a shadow on the floor that isn't part of anything in the room. Frisk points her finger at the shadow, and Gaster rose from the ground with a shocked expression. She glared him down, as the blue magic around him held him firmly in the air.

"You have a lot of explaining to do, Gaster. And don't even try to weasel your way out of this! What have you been hiding? Huh? What can you tell us about Ebrima?" grunted Frisk, moving towards Gaster with a fire in her eyes.

"I-I-I don't know what you mean…! This Ebrima character is a new one to me!" chuckled Gaster nervously, before Frisk flung him into the chair where he'd been sitting before.

"Then explain how you knew about her last night? And I know my father wouldn't lie about his past, given what happened in the last week. How long have you been lying to them?" asked Frisk. Sans stared at his father in disbelief, as did Papyrus.

"Dad…? What is she talking about?" asked Sans.

"S-Sans, I…" stammered Gaster.

"Have you been lying to us? Because you know what happens when we get lied to." Growled Sans, his eye glowing with a hot blue fire. Papyrus held his brother back, his own eye glowing orange.

"Before we jump to conclusions, brother…" sighed Papyrus flatly. "Let him explain. He's cornered as it is; if we harm him, he won't talk at all. Besides, he owes us that much if he has been."

"…Fine. But if he doesn't talk, we'll do it, anyway." Grinned Sans.

"If I were you, I would talk, if you want your sons to keep trusting you… as well as me, your own daughter-in-law." Snarled Frisk. Gaster looked around, realizing he couldn't get out of this; Frisk's powers as a god gave her power far beyond his.

"Alright… I'll talk… but I just want you to know that you're hurting me by making me do this." Said Gaster, purple tears falling from his eyesockets.

"The only reason it's hurting is because of how long you've been holding it in. Tell us." Said Frisk, more gently.

"She was… one of the first people who ever understood me… was enthralled by my wit and my work… and she always knew how to make me smile." Said Gaster somberly.

"Was she a friend of yours?" asked Papyrus.

"More than just that, my son… she was your… she was your mother." Said Gaster. Both brothers stared at him, shocked by what he'd just said, as did Frisk.

"What happened to her? Why isn't she here with us?" asked Sans.

"It… it was a-an accident… I… I never meant for her to get hurt or even killed, but it was because of my mistakes that, in my eagerness to break through the mystery of Determination, and its properties, that… I…" explained Gaster… before he collapsed in a fit of sobs. Sans' eyes widened in anger, and his eye glowed an even hotter blue.

"You didn't…" he hissed.

"I might as well have. I let the person who did it into my… our… own home. I wanted to help him. I wanted to rehabilitate him. To save him from going down the path he had been told about so many years before… but in the end… That… Monster… I called friend…"

"You let Aberon into your house?!" shouted Sans.

"Sans, calm down. This must have been before-" started Papyrus, before Sans broke away, and punched Gaster out of the chair.

"You're the reason he got into Dark Magic, aren't you?! You're the reason I was so weak before!" cried Sans. "You're the reason our mother's dead."

Gaster looked up at Sans, his jawbone cracked and dislocated. He stood up and pushed it back into place with a sickening snap!

"I deserved that, Sans. Papyrus, anything you would like to say or add on the matter?" asked Gaster.

"I'd say you deserve a lot more than that, but… it wasn't you. It was him." Said Papyrus.

"Papyrus is right. Just because you created the thing that was used to kill her doesn't make you the killer himself." Said Frisk.

"It does in my book!" shouted Sans. Frisk stared at Sans in disbelief, as tears fell from his eyesockets onto the floor.

"Sans… are you saying that if someone created something that caused someone's death, or played a part in that person's death, intentionally or not, they're considered a killer?" asked Frisk.

"In this case… yes." Growled Sans. "It does."

"Then I guess I am, too." Said Frisk. Sans turned to her.

"What are you talking about?" he asked.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" shouted Frisk. "The last timeline, you bonehead!"

"Th-That was different!" started Sans, before Frisk slapped him across the face.

"No, it wasn't! Flowey wouldn't have been able to kill Dad if I hadn't injured him in our battle!" Frisk said. "If you call Gaster a murderer for letting Aberon in to try and save him, then that's no better than calling your own wife a murderer."

"B-Babe, no, it's not like that…" said Sans, trying to take Frisk's hand, but she immediately recoiled.

"Don't touch me. If that's what you think, then maybe you aren't the monster I thought you were." Frisk wept, running from the room crying. Sans stared at her as she left.

"She's right, you know." Said Papyrus.

"Shut your jaw, Paps." Grumbled Sans, as he let out a sigh of frustration. "Shit… Why didn't you tell us sooner, Gaster? Why… why didn't you say anything when we were kids?! That's what I want to know!"

"You never asked. And I never wanted you to feel the pain I felt that day. A man I trusted took everything from me, not once, but twice. And both times… both times… I showed… mercy… when I should have followed my instincts, and finished him right there… law be damned."

"There's more to it, though, isn't there?!" asked Sans.

"I will talk about it in greater detail when the time arises, but you, Sans… if you want to keep your family, you'd better find a way to make up for what you said. Not me. Her." Said Gaster. "Because if you don't? You'll lose her like I lost Ebrima. Now go." Gaster pointed to the kitchen door, and Sans bolted from the room, leaving Papyrus alone with his father. Gaster sighed, and tented his fingers.

"Well, Papyrus? What do you have to say?" he asked. "What do you feel?"

"I… I feel betrayed by the fact that you didn't tell us sooner… but I'm more grateful that you told us at all. I… I can't be mad, because I know it wasn't your fault. You made a mistake, we all make mistakes, it's just…" Just at that moment, a hand fell upon his skull. Papyrus looked up, and saw Gaster staring down at him with a smile on his face.

"You're just like she was, Papyrus… always seeing the best in people when I couldn't… I'm glad you're not like me, in that regard." Said Gaster. Papyrus flew forward and wrapped his father in a tight hug.

"I'm sorry, father. I'm so sorry." Apologized Papyrus. Gaster hugged him back half-heartedly, tears falling from his eyes.

"I'm sorry, too."


	6. Heavy Hearted Ultimatums

Frisk sat up in her room, crying on the bed, a pile of unsigned papers on her nightside table; divorce papers, which she had kept from when Toriel almost made her decision to divorce Asgore all those years ago. She stared at the mirror across from her bed, and for some brief intervals at a time, she remembered how she had changed _when_ Sans was killed. Every flash that came and went scared her even more, and she began to feel her stomach churn. She clenched at her stomach in an attempt to ease the rolling feeling of nausea, but to no avail. She ran to her connected bathroom, and vomited into the toilet. Wave after wave of bile flew out of her mouth, until finally, she could barely hold herself up to stop. She fell back onto the floor, and continued to cry.

"God… Why did he have to say such a horrible thing?! After all we've been through since our first meeting in Snowdin… What right does he have to say that to me?" Frisk sniffled, looking at the ring on her finger. She started to pull it off, but as she did, she couldn't bring herself to do it. She let out a shriek of frustration, and grabbed at her head.

"Why am I so _weak!_ I fell for his tricks, and all this time, he believed that… I…" trembled Frisk, before she sat up, and shambled over to her bed again, flopping down unceremoniously face-first into a pillow. At that moment, she heard a knock at the door.

"Piss off! I don't want to talk to you, you ungrateful bag of bones!" shouted Frisk through her pillow.

"Oh… Now I know why I didn't see you at breakfast. You two had a fight, didn't you?" said Toriel on the other side of the door. Frisk shot up, and ran to the door. She opened it, and saw her mother's kind face staring down at her sadly. Her body filled the doorway.

"Oh, my gosh, Mom, I am _so_ sorry! I didn't realize it was you!" said Frisk, leading her mother into her room. "I just… I don't… know what to say… I"

"Calm down, Frisk. Breathe. You're agitated. Tell me what happened." Implored Toriel, noticing that the ring on Frisk's finger had shifted. "Clearly, whatever happened is bothering you enough to want to remove your wedding ring."

"H-How did you-"

"A mother notices small details… especially this one, seeing as she was in a similar situation." Said Toriel, noticing the papers on the nightside table "I also see you found the papers... You aren't really considering…"

" _Yes, I am! What do you care?! I don't care about who wins custody over the kids! Hell, I don't even care what happens to_ him! _He can burn in hell for all I care!"_ screamed Frisk.

"Gracious, Frisk… calm _down!_ No one deserves that…!Breathe. What could he have done to… He didn't _cheat_ on you, did he?" asked Toriel.

"If he did, there'd be a pile of dust in the kitchen for you to vacuum!" Frisk said hotly, shaking her head and taking a deep breath… then another… before balling up her fists.

"He… Gaster told us about what happened… with Ebrima… and I said that because, even though he created the thing that killed her, he did it unintentionally, therefore, he had no reason to feel guilty for her death. And Sans… oh, good ol' Sans said that counts towards him being a murderer. I asked if he thought that if a person plays a part in someone else's death, intentionally or otherwise, they were considered killers. And you know what he said?"

"He said yes, didn't he?" asked Toriel.

"Ding ding ding! Here's your _shining golden prize_ : an emotionally damaged daughter." Cried Frisk.

"But why… oh… right… the timeline before." Sighed Toriel.

"So he just married a murderer and rubbed that fact in my goddamn face. And to make matters worse, he tried to claim it was different, when it's _exactly the same!_ " snarled Frisk, her voice slowly rising.

"Frisk. You cannot just jump to conclusions like that." Said Toriel. "In a sense… it actually is different."

"How?! Why are you taking his side?" asked Frisk.

"I don't take sides, dear. I've learned not to do so, as it only leads to ruin." Said Toriel. "Frisk, what happened to Ebrima was long before you were even on this Earth. Sans wasn't even born at that time, or at least, I don't _think_ he was. Regardless… I say it is different… _because_ you never killed in _this_ timeline. Certainly, if it were the previous timeline, we'd still be underground, and maybe some would even share Sans' viewpoint. But it's not."

"Sure… I guess that makes sense. No one else remembers it like I do… seeing everything… _burn_ … F-Father dying… That flower…!" Started Frisk, her breathing starting to quicken before Toriel shook her.

"Frisk, stop it! You're going to make the same mistake I made if you keep going down this path!" cried Toriel.

"Maybe that's a mistake I want!" Frisk shouted.

"Would you really want to throw away everything you two have over a difference of opinion?! It's what forced us Underground! It's what made me leave Asgore! It's what _drove me into_ _ **exile!**_ " shouted Toriel. Frisk stared at her mother; she had never gotten this loud before.

"For years, I lived in denial, thinking that the man I loved had changed into what his brother had been. It destroyed me, every time a child fell, knowing that they would die by his hands!" explained Toriel.

"And what made you come back, huh?! What changed your mind?!" asked Frisk angrily.

"You."

Frisk recoiled in shock; she was not expecting that.

"Even before the barrier was broken, I couldn't leave you to face Asgore, not after all you'd done for everyone else. So… I came to your side. I confronted him. I faced my fear, and quite frankly, I thought I could never forgive him." Chuckled Toriel. "And then, a week later, you brought us together again. Told us both sides of the story, and I realized how short-sighted I was. If we had just talked before, none of what had transpired between us would had happened. But you… _You_ made it happen."

Toriel spread her arms wide. " _You made_ all of this… _happen._ As you said that day, the best way to solve any conflict between couples is-"

"To hear both sides of the story." Sighed Frisk along with Toriel. She turned to her nightstand, and saw a framed picture of her family behind the papers. Arial and Segoe were laughing, Sans was smiling and Frisk grinned and held her hand up in a peace sign. Frisk sighed.

"Maybe you're right… Maybe… Maybe I should go talk to him." Said Frisk, standing up and heading towards the door. As she stepped out, she saw Sans sitting outside the door, his hood over his face, his knees against his ribcage.

"Sans? Wh-What… How long have you been sitting there…?" asked Frisk.

"Long enough." Replied Sans in a barely audible mumble. Frisk knelt down next to him.

"Look… Honey… about my outburst, I-"

"Just… shut up…" said Sans, his voice breaking. "I heard what you said…"

"Why do you have your hood up? You never have your…" said Frisk, pulling away the hood to reveal Sans' face. Tears were rolling down his face, and his smile had curved down into an ugly frown. Frisk gasped.

"You're mad at me, and you're right to be. It's just… after all those other kids that fell, and what they did to us… I just… I came to expect it… you know…?" chuckled Sans sadly. "I just… I… just…"

"Sans…" crumbled Frisk.

"No… I know what you want. You want nothing to do with me." grunted Sans, standing up. "I'll just see myself out-"

"No, Sans… that's not what I want." Said Frisk quietly, calmly, placing a hand on his shoulders.

"Well, what do you want, huh? I've already said my piece and pissed you off, why don't you just let me go?!" asked Sans. "You want that, don't you?! You said I could burn in hell, and I probably will!"

"Because I can't bear to lose you!" shouted Frisk. "I can't… Not after all I've been through… after all _we've_ been through. I _completely_ overreacted… and I was… so blinded by my own anger… that you would even say such a horrible thing… to both your father and your own wife… to see that you were right."

"No, I wasn't. You're just saying that to make me feel better." Said Sans.

"No, you were. It _was_ different. _The timeline_ was the difference. In all fairness, I jumped the gun, and you were already caught up in the moment, and… the violence just added to it…"

"We _both_ jumped the gun. I don't know the full story, and he'll probably tell us when Asgore gets further into his story." Said Sans. "Honestly, I owe him that much."

"You know about that?" asked Frisk.

"I may be a sleepy bonehead from time to time, but I always listen… somehow." Said Sans. "Aw, jeez…" He fell up against the wall, slid down and stared up at the ceiling to try and keep the tears from falling.

"We're just one big family of numbskulls, aren't we…?" smiled Frisk. Sans cracked a smile, and the tears fell down his face.

"Yeah… I guess we are…" he laughed shakily, his voice breaking from emotion.

"I'm sorry for how I reacted, Sans. It was stupid and childish, and I should have known you were just caught up in the moment." Apologized Frisk, picking Sans up off the ground.

"No… it was my fault… I got angry, and my past caught up with me. I should be asking you to forgive me." said Sans.

"Okay, well, how about this: I'll forgive you and your past… on one condition." Said Frisk.

"Lemme guess… you want me to forgive my dad for killing my mom." Said Sans, crossing his arms.

"I mean, if you don't want me to forgive you, I can get the divorce papers ready." Said Frisk.

"No! No, no, no! Alright! I'll do it." Groaned Sans.

"Sans, I know you don't want to, but neither you nor I know what really happened. For all we know, Gaster did everything he could to try and save her, but failed! I mean, I remember Alphys telling me about some of Gaster's old research on monsters who had fallen down and trying to revive them. Maybe it all started with Ebrima…?" said Frisk.

"How would we know for sure? I mean, how would _you_ even know?" asked Sans.

"Long shot in the dark, but it's worth checking out." Said Frisk.

"She's right, Sans. Gaster was our go-to person on matters regarding life and death before his disappearance when you and Papyrus were children. It only makes sense." Said Toriel, overhearing the conversation.

"Do you always know the right things to say?" Frisk asked.

"Part of being a mother, dear. Though, you'd know all about that now, wouldn't you…?" smiled Toriel. "Speaking of… who's watching the twins?" Frisk and Sans' eyes widened, just as the sound of glass breaking downstairs, followed shortly by a loud shout from Asriel.

" _Frisk!_ Your children are pelting me with porcelain because I didn't give them dessert!" cried Asriel.

"It's breakfast!" shouted back Frisk.

"They never finished it! That's why I didn't give them the cookies for dessert!" replied Asriel, just as another plate him in the back of the head.

"No cookies before lunch! They know that! Why don't you?!" called Frisk, only to be met with silence. Asriel had been knocked out cold.

"I think we should go down there _now._ " Urged Sans.

"I'll get the anti-magic anklets Alphys made for us." Said Frisk annoyed. "Hey, maybe this'll be part of your forgiveness. Pacifying the kids?"

"Don't push it. If we do this, we do this together." Said Sans.

"Alright. See you in a moment." Laughed Frisk, as Sans went downstairs to pacify his children's wrathful nature.

* * *

Later that afternoon, around lunchtime, everyone is sitting at the table enjoying lunch, save for the twins, who were sitting in a playpen made of blue bones, little anti-magic anklets around their ankles. The two of them were in timeout, looking at their mother pleadingly, hoping for some sympathy. Frisk had none to give after what they did to Asriel, who was sitting at the table with an ice-pack against the back of his head.

"Nice try, you two, but you're stuck there until we say so. No treats for the rest of the week. That _includes_ cookies." Said Frisk.

"You're just like my mom, Frisk. Fair… but genuinely terrifying." Said Asriel.

"Who do you think I learned it from?" asked Frisk. "Speaking of fairness…" Frisk elbowed Sans in the ribcage.

"Ow, what?!" asked Sans.

"Sans…? Isn't there anything you'd like to say to your father?" asked Frisk, motioning towards Gaster with her eyes. Gaster looked up from his antipasto with a disinterested expression on his face.

"Do I really have to?" asked Sans, just as Frisk snapped her fingers, and the small pile of divorce papers loomed threateningly behind her hand.

" _Yes. You do._ " Grinned Frisk sarcastically.

"I thought you were bluffing, you wouldn't really-" started Sans, before Frisk snapped her fingers again, summoning a fountain pen.

"Try me, bonebrain." Grunted Frisk.

"Frisk, that is enough. Don't force him into that over what I did. His response was justified, albeit, a little bit early." Said Gaster, summoning two hands and grabbing both paper and pen from Frisk.

"Dad, it's not what he did that bothers me. It's what he _said!_ He's apologized to me, but not to you. It's not fair, and the fact that he's resisting it makes me think that he won't trust you because of me getting you to tell him what happened. On top of that, it makes me feel like his apology to me wasn't genuine, because he hasn't forgiven you for the same thing." Spouted Frisk.

"Well, considering I didn't even get to tell you what really happened before he dislocated my jawbone…" said Gaster.

"Exactly!" said Frisk. "At least apologize for what you did, Sans."

"To be fair, Dad, my reaction was really extreme." Said Sans.

"I'm surprised you didn't blast me or slam me against the wall with your blue magic. Honestly, I though I taught you better." Said Gaster disappointedly, turning back to his antipasto and surprising Frisk and Sans.

"Wait, what?! He could have killed you!" shouted Frisk.

"Six million, six-hundred sixty-six thousand, six-hundred sixty-six HP with two hundred HP Regeneration per minute, and he can only do two-hundred twenty damage per hit, with five damage per second with Karmic Retribution for seven seconds. It would take a _very_ long time to kill me even if he tried." Said Gaster with a snarky smile.

"For the record, I'd never kill you. Hurt you, maybe, but never _kill_ you. You were the one that taught me that killing is something you can't undo, and LV is permanent." Said Sans.

"That was before Frisk had her run-in with Flowey, got the ability to Reset, which she can't do anymore, had _another_ run-in with Flowey and Chara, raising and lowering her LV, You were killed by Aberon and brought back by Asriel. Did I miss anything at all, my dear son?" said Gaster.

"N-No… but… still… that j-" started Sans, before Asgore interjected.

"Why don't we relieve the tension with more of my story?" he asked. This got everyone's attention.

"Oh! That sounds like a good idea." Said Gaster. "Where did you leave off, again?"

"After we met. I never got him back for the dress incident." Said Toriel. Noticing that she had blueberry juice in her cup, Toriel grinned devilishly, and then poured it all over Asgore. "There, _now_ we're even." Asgore inhaled, and then grinned.

"Fair enough. Only took… oh… sixty years…?" smiled Asgore. "Joke's on you, though. I have more than one of these shirts."

"There's more juice in the kitchen, and I know where you keep them."

"Tori, no…!"

"Tori, yes!"

"Mother, sit!" commanded Frisk. "Or at the very least, get him a towel, because you soaked him."

"So what happened next, Dad?" asked Asriel.

"Well, life got better after Toriel became a part of our lives. Aberon and I had a new playmate, and some of the pranks she helped us pull were hilarious! But we always got in trouble because of her mother, and it was because of these pranks that we eventually got back onto the straight and narrow." Said Asgore.

"What kind of pranks did you pull?" asked Asriel.

"Nothing too harmful. Maybe we put a whole bottle of hot sauce in a punch bowl, or changed some bath bombs with smoke bombs that activated when they got wet." Smiled Toriel.

"Like mother, like daughter, eh, Merigold?" laughed Asriel to his little sister.

"Shut up, Azzy…" groaned Merigold.

"Yes… things were golden until right around our teen years. I think we were both sixteen and Toriel was… fourteen?" asked Asgore.

"Fifteen, Asgore." Said Toriel. "It was right around this time that I was beginning to… ahem… develop. And this caused the boys, in turn, to…"

"Get horny… yeah, had a feeling." Said Asriel.

"Rather rude way of putting it, but yes. They… were interested in me." said Toriel. "And a certain someone took advantage of the other's kind heart."

"Now, Tori… let _me_ tell the story." Said Asgore.


	7. The Underhanded Letter

I remember that it was a beautiful spring day, and I was going to make a choice that would forever change my life. After years of having a crush on your mother, I was finally going to tell her how I felt in the most romantic way possible: writing a love letter. Unfortunately… that was on a day that I'd hit a writer's block. Everything that I came up with was either cheesy, embarrassing, or just plain pathetic. It came to the point where the bin near my writing desk was overflowing with crumpled papers.

"Okay, I think I have it this time." I said, grabbing my second to last piece of paper and beginning to write.

"Dearest Toriel,

From the moment I met you, I felt this strange connection. Like I was looking at myself in the mirror… Really? Myself?! That makes me sound arrogant and narcissistic! Ugh, stupid, stupid! Dammit!" I crumpled up the piece and threw it onto the pile of paper.

"Why can't I come up with anything?" I asked myself. Looking at my last piece of paper, I began to feel hopeless. What was I thinking, trying to write a love letter to a servant girl? Father would never accept it. A prince is supposed to be married to someone of nobility and status, not a commoner girl!

"Toriel, this was before we made that revision to the marriage laws. The one that removed the nobility requirement." Said Asgore in the present day.

"It was your brother that removed it." Said Toriel. "Before… well, you know."

It was around the time I was about to give up that I heard a knock at the door.

"What is it?" I called, as Aberon pushed through the door. Immediately, he noticed the waste bin, and snickered.

"Writer's block?" he asked.

"Screw you…" I replied.

"Touch-y." said Aberon. "What are you even writing?"

"It's a secret." I said quickly.

"Please, brother. Obviously, this is bothering you, and I want to help you. It's what I'm for, right? I helped you write that play last year when you couldn't finish it-"

"And took the credit for it." I said hotly.

" _Half the credit._ Well, more like a _quarter_ of it, but we'll skip the details. What can I do to help?" asked Aberon.

"Promise me you won't tell anyone. If this gets out to my father, he'll flip." I hissed.

"Don't worry. All secrets are safe with me. You know that." Smiled Aberon.

"I'm… thinking about asking Toriel out, and I thought writing a love letter would be the best way to go. Well, you can see how that's going…" I said, motioning to the waste bin.

"About time you came clean about it." Laughed Aberon.

"Wait… you knew?!" I sputtered.

"Come on, Asgore. It's painfully obvious. All the things you've done to help her, including refurbishing the garden, which honestly has been needing it for a long time. Speaking of, you've really got a green thumb." Said Aberon.

"Ehehehe… Yeah… I do." I laughed sheepishly.

"I also noticed you have a wandering eye whenever she passes by. Specifically that… big behind of hers." Said Aberon slowly. I could feel my face growing hot with embarrassment.

" _Sh-Shut up!_ " I shouted.

"Sorry, sorry! Just an observation. Though, I can't say that I'm not guilty of doing the same. Is nice." Said Aberon. "Anyway, what's the problem?"

"No matter what I come up with, it either sounds cheesy or self-centered. Even outright stupid. I want this letter to blow her away, but I can't seem to find the right words!"

"Here… I have an idea. Go take a break, I'll write the letter." Said Aberon.

"But, Abby, she'll recognize the handwriting!" I said.

"Not if I write like you. Don't worry, bro. Copying your handwriting is easy. When I'm done, she'll be wrapped around your little finger." Said Aberon with a devilish grin.

"Thanks, Aberon." I replied. "Do you want me to bring you a snack?"

"No, I'm good. You go have some fun." Laughed Aberon, as I ran out of the room to go find something to do.

* * *

"Oh, wait, I know where this is going." Said Asriel. "He wrote the letter, finished it, but didn't tell you what he wrote. Lemme guess, he even sealed it in an envelope with a wax seal."

"Indeed, he did. After he wrote it, I delivered it without a second thought." Said Asgore. "I went through with my original plan to leave it in her quarters, and wait for her to come to me. But she never did. I even picked flowers from the garden for her."

"And you fell for it hook, line, and sinker, didn't you, Mom?" sighed Asriel.

"Sorry, dear. Hormones." Chuckled Toriel.

"Eventually, I bumped into Gaster and Ebrima, and I asked if they'd seen Toriel. Ebrima said that she'd seen Toriel hanging out with Aberon. I asked why she'd be with him, and if she'd gotten the letter. Ebrima had a feeling, but Gaster was the one who confirmed my fear."

* * *

"You mean the letter Aberon wrote to her? Toriel said that was the most romantic thing she'd ever read." Said Gaster.

"Oh, thank goodness. I knew Aberon would come through for… Wait… The letter _Aberon_ wrote? He said he would help me write the letter, but…" I said in confusion.

"Ugh… Asgore… _Please_ don't tell me you fell for that trick; otherwise, you've lost a bit of my respect for you." Said Gaster, placing his palm on his face.

"What _trick!_ " I exclaimed.

"Two guys in love with the same girl, and one promises to help the other get the girl. In the process, one guy gets the girl, leaving the other betrayed and broken-hearted." Said Ebrima. "I've read enough love stories to know that one."

It was at that moment that the realization came to me. I felt a weight in my chest that I'd never felt before.

"Where are they?!" I asked angrily.

"Don't do anything rash, Asgore. If you do anything to Aberon out of anger, Toriel won't come back to you." Said Ebrima.

"I concur, Your Majesty. It would be wiser to simply explain what happened." Said Gaster.

"Oh, I'm not going to hurt him. I'm going to kill him! He's played me for the last time...!" I said. "Where are they?!"

"I think I saw them in the garden, but Asgore-" started Ebrima, but I was already gone. I ran to the garden, and when I couldn't find them anywhere else, I ran through the hedge maze.

* * *

"We had a hedge maze?" asked Asriel.

"A long time ago, yes. It died while we were underground." Said Asgore.

* * *

I flew through the maze as fast my feet would carry me. I had solved it so many times before that I had memorized the pathway to the center. And that was where I found them. Toriel was sitting on the marble bench next to the fountain, while Aberon stood at the fountain, reciting the lines from the letter. Toriel was swooning as he did so. I hid myself, and listened, my anger for my brother growing stronger. I wanted to go up to him and push him into that fountain. I wanted to embarrass him like he embarrassed me the first time we met Toriel.

"Oh, Aberon… I had no idea you were so poetic… I always thought you stuck to your studies on swordplay and magic." Said Toriel. "You don't think he'd be jealous, would you? I mean, I know he looks at me-"

"Oh, don't be such a worrywart, Tori. Asgore wouldn't be jealous. He made a promise that nothing would come between us." Said Aberon. I gasped.

"Did he now?" asked Toriel.

"Indeed, he did. It was after I'd gotten my fortune read by KuBaba." Said Aberon.

"Oh, yes! He told me about that! I mean, something like this would cause such an uproar in the castle." Said Toriel.

"There's no need to worry, my little buttercup. Everything is going to be fine." Reassured Aberon. I stood, frozen in my hiding spot, my heart beginning to ache now from guilt. He was right; I had made that promise to him, and I couldn't break it. Not to my brother. I ran from the maze as fast as I could, not even bothering to mask the sound of my footsteps with magic. I just wanted to go to my room and be alone. My heart was broken, and I didn't want anyone to see it happening. On my way, I bumped into my father.

"Where are you going in such a hurry?" asked Jorin.

"N-Nowhere… b-but I think Aberon and I should… get separate rooms, now." I said.

"Asgore, what's wrong?" asked Jorin, worried now.

"Let's just say… things are… changing…" I said, trying to hold back my tears as I ran past him, heading straight to my room. Well, _our_ room, but that would soon be changed. As I walked past my desk, I saw the waste bin still full of paper, and I upturned it in a fit of anger. It was over.


	8. Heartfelt: Act II, Part III

"Wow… I can't believe that prick- Well, actually, I _can_ believe he did that." Said Asriel. "What a dick move… and before you say it, 'dick' is not a swear word, mom."

"It is with children in the room. Five dollars in the swear jar." Said Toriel. Asriel groaned and left the room to go find some money for the swear jar.

"Did you say anything to your father?" asked Frisk.

"No, but he found out that evening." Said Asgore. "In our youth, dinner time was when we were the most chatty, talking about our day, raving about who beat who in their duels, discussing lessons… all the good stuff. But that evening was dead silent; Not a single word was being spoken."

* * *

I sat there at my place at the dinner table, staring down at my food with a sour look on my face. I poked at my steak with my fork, and Aberon did the same, but with a smile across his lips. Toriel was present, not as a guest, but a servant. As she moved past us, each time, I saw a smile on her face directed towards Aberon. It made me feel sick. Fifteen minutes of this awful silence passed by before Jorin spoke up.

"Okay… now I _know_ something's going on between you two. You've _never_ been this quiet at dinner time." Said Jorin. I looked up from my plate at my father.

"Oh, should I tell him or would you like the honors, _brother?_ " I asked Aberon.

"I don't know what you mean." Said Aberon.

"Oh, I think you know _exactly_ what I mean, Aberon." I replied angrily.

"You know, you can be really nosy sometimes, Asgore." Said Aberon.

"That's funny, seeing as you made my business _your_ business… stealing other people's ideas for your own gain is something a tyrant does." I replied.

"Well, some people just have the smarts to follow through on the ideas, and not act like a pushover." Grinned Aberon snarkily.

"Okay, I see where this is going." Said Jorin, as I started to move around the table towards Aberon, a deadly fire in my eyes.

"Say that again?!" I snarled. "I'll bite your head off! Come here, you!"

"Asgore, calm down. Calm down! You two haven't fought like this since the train station when we picked up KuBaba! Explain what's going on without being so cryptic!" said Jorin.

"Aberon wrote a love letter for me, and delivered it in his name!" I shouted. "The girl he gave it to was supposed to go for me!" Jorin's eyes widened.

"Aberon…? Is this true?" he asked Aberon.

"Of course not! We both had the same idea; I just got to her first." Said Aberon.

"You lying bastard!" I shouted, breaking away from my father's grip, and running towards him, fists raised. As my fist flew forwards towards his face, a giant hand intercepted the punch. I looked up, and saw Iris' cold, black eyes staring down at me angrily, as her meaty paws wrapped around my hand tightly.

"No fighting at table." She growled, picking me up by the scruff of my neck and plopping me back in my seat.

"Seriously, brother, I understand you're upset, but that's no excuse for making up stories and blaming me for something I didn't do." Said Aberon.

"But… but you…!" I started.

"Your brother is right, Asgore." Said Jorin. "I thought you were more mature than your brother."

" _I am! I'm_ not _making this up!"_ I shouted at my father. "Do you even _know_ who it is he gave it to?!"

"It does not matter! I will not stand for such disrespectful and intolerable behavior. You are to go to your room, and when you return, I expect an apology." Ordered Jorin. "Is that clear?"

" _If_ I return. You won't get an apology out of me for this." I cried, running from the dining room and slamming the door behind me. I was telling the truth; Why didn't anyone believe me?

* * *

"Jeez, Dad… And I thought I had a silver tongue." Said Frisk. "Aberon must have been really smart to lie his way out of that."

"He fooled me at first, but something seemed off." said Toriel. "Initially, I thought Aberon's sudden interest in me strange. He did care for me, but I knew something was up. When I saw your father run from the dining room, crying, I knew I had to do something. So I went after him."

* * *

I knocked on Asgore's door, and there was no answer. Thankfully, the door was unlocked.

"Asgore? It's me, T-Toriel." I said.

"What do you want? Shouldn't you be down there with your new boyfriend?!" he shouted through the door.

"How do you know about that?" I asked him, pushing through into the room.

"I saw you two in the hedge maze." He replied.

"You were eavesdropping on us?!" I shouted.

"Maybe I was! Maybe I had a reason to!" shouted Asgore in reply.

"There was no reason for you to spy on us!" I growled.

"Oh, there were plenty. That letter? He was supposed to write that for _me_! See that waste basket?! See how many papers are in there?" asked Asgore. "Those are all _my_ attempts to write to you!"

"Forgive my impudence, my lord, but I think you're just jealous." I said.

" _Jealous?! If I was jealous, I wouldn't be screaming at you about it! I'd be keeping it to myself!_ No… I'm _furious with him!_ And _you_ , for that matter!" screamed Asgore, moving towards the waste bin.

"Me?! What did _I_ do?!" I shrieked back.

"You fell for his trick! That's what you did! Here…! Read this." Said Asgore, shoving a crumple piece of paper in my face. I uncrumpled the piece of paper, and read it aloud.

"To my dearest Toriel… Asgore, this is ridiculous!" I sighed.

" _Read. It."_ Said Asgore. "Notice the writing, while you do." I glared at him, before deciding to humor him. I read the letter to myself, and noticed something.

"It's exactly the same writing as what was on the letter he wrote." I said.

"I asked him to hide his writing to look like mine, because I couldn't find the right words myself." Explained Asgore. "Aberon has his own folder of writings. I want you to look at his handwriting over mine."

"No, I won't! I've had just about enough of this!" I shouted.

"Look, you've done well to stay here and let me explain this much, at least let me finish!" pleaded Asgore.

"I refuse to be the victim of some petty squabble over siblings." I said. Asgore scoffed.

"And here I was, thinking the world of you. How smart you were, how beautiful you were, how kind you were to me since we employed you. I mean, hey, it's not like I didn't care for you. It's not like I didn't help you in the garden when no one else did. It's not like I tried to help you in the kitchen! It's not like I did everything with you, just so I could _be_ with you!" shouted Asgore, pouring his heart out angrily to me. "Oh, sure, but you don't care about any of that! You only care about someone who can spout flowery words onto a piece of paper on one occasion and say that they love you. So go ahead! Be happy! Be content with whoever you chose as your soulmate! But don't come crying to me when you find out that he was just using you!" Asgore stopped to breathe at this point, and he collapsed to the floor.

"I thought you were my best friend, Toriel Rosemary Galingale. I thought you were something special. I only wish you were smart enough to see that." He said, tears falling from his eyes. I stared down at him, conflicted with who was right or wrong, before leaving in silence.

* * *

"He was right, though." Said Frisk. "He did literally everything for you, and where was Aberon in all of it?"

"He usually kept to himself in the study room. After I left Asgore's room, I went to see him about it. I told him what Asgore said, and he just said Asgore was jealous, trying to make me pity him. I was so angry that I never wanted to speak to Asgore again." Said Toriel. "It was later that night… that I found a folder in my quarters, labelled with Aberon's name. Curious, I opened the folder, and I read through each document with growing anger. I knew that Asgore had planted them there, but… something in me refused to believe that Aberon had lied to me, even though I knew for a fact that he had. I returned to Asgore's room, and he was reading a book. He looked up at me, and then back to his book.

* * *

"And the bitch returns." Said Asgore.

"Oh, don't start with me, Gore. I know you planted these. This is your handwriting, isn't it?" I growled.

"What, do you want me to write a paragraph with you present at full speed?" asked Asgore. "They were even dated, no spelling or grammar corrections whatsoever, and you still don't believe me." Asgore then lowered his book with a smirk on his face.

"Or perhaps you're in denial that your 'sweetheart' used his own brother to get to you." He smiled. "I think the only reason you didn't burn them was because you knew he'd come looking for them."

"Is that really what you want?" I asked, my hands beginning to heat up.

"No… but is it what you want to do?" asked Asgore.

"Not just that." I said, grabbing the book from Asgore's hands. "You've been reading from this book the last few days. Is it important to you?"

"Not particularly. It's just one of the few books that I wrote." Said Asgore, sitting up with a smile on his face.

"Oh…? Then you wouldn't mind if I bur…" I started, before noticing the writing on the page, and the familiar excerpts. I put the folder down, and began to read the book.

"Wait a minute… I-I recognize these passages. I used to read them in school… and the writing… it's just like…" I stammered, before closing the book and reading the title: " _Heartfelt: A Three Act Play by Asgore Rembrandt Dreemurr."_

"Oh, my God, Asgore, I… I'm so sorry, I-" I started, before Asgore raised a hand.

"Now you see. Go on… Have fun. I hope you two will be happy together." He said solemnly.

"But…" I started again.

"If anything happens, you come running to me, alright? But until then, you're just my servant." Said Asgore. "Are we clear, Miss Galingale?" I felt the tears welling in my eyes.

"C-crystal clear, sir." I cried. "But… m-may I ask one thing before I go?"

"What is it?" asked Asgore.

"Do you still love me?"

Asgore stared at me for a few seconds, before smiling. He laughed.

"I lay down my love for others, so that others will love thee, Zamiel. But when mine lady's eyes shine in the pale starlight-"

"Then the fates have destined her for me." I finished. " _Heartfelt. Act II, Part III…_ That's one of my favorite lines."

"There's your answer. Now get out of here, servant girl." Smiled Asgore. I smiled, the tears in my eyes falling freely, before curtsying and leaving the room with a smile.

* * *

"You were romantic, even then, Asgore." Smiled Toriel, nuzzling into Asgore's neck.

"So, you just let Aberon win?" asked Asriel, having returned from his money search.

"Well, I wouldn't call it a _decisive_ victory. I still went out with him, but my heart was definitely somewhere else." Said Toriel.

"And you didn't break up with him… _why?"_ asked Sans.

"I didn't want any suspicions to arise. It wasn't so bad… I mean, Aberon was at least kind to me." recalled Toriel.

"She was with him for a good five years. I was surprised by her patience, both then _and_ now." Said Asgore. "By the time the two of them reached marrying age, people around the kingdom were just counting down the days until he'd pop the question. Myself included, much to my embarrassment."

"But he never did, and… well… by that time, I was already having doubts about our relationship working out, especially after my mother died." Explained Toriel.

"Why?" asked Frisk.

"Well, put it this way, there was no one to keep him in line, anymore." Said Toriel. "And there was one night, where he'd gotten back from a long trip, and he tried to make up for not being there."

"What do you mean, 'make up'?" asked Frisk.

"I already know." Said Asriel. "I know what happened here. He told me about it."

"Oh? Tell me." said Frisk.

"No, it's Mom's story." Said Asriel. "Besides, I want to hear her side. I think he might have withheld some details. Go on, Mom. Tell us."

"Well, it started out simple. We went out to dinner, had a few drinks… and then a few more at a night club. I know we had a few too many, because I could barely walk to the carriage afterwards. He suggested that we stay the night at a nearby inn. I vaguely remember what happened next. All I remember was the feeling of something crawling in and out of me…"

"Wait a moment… are you saying that… he… f… no… you're-you're kidding… You've gotta be." Said Frisk.

"No, unfortunately, she isn't." said Asriel.

"Does that count as… um… r-a-p-e?" whispered Frisk.

"I don't think so. I mean, we were both drunk, we both consented… so… I don't think it counts…? Whatever. The next morning, we woke up, hungover and naked, we realized what we'd done, he apologized several times, and at first, we pretended like it hadn't happened." Said Toriel. "But a week later, I found out that… well… I was pregnant."

"And before you say _anything_ more… it was not me, Frisk." Asriel said quickly, noticing Frisk's shocked expression.

"So… Asriel's not the oldest?" asked Frisk.

"No… he is." Said Toriel, her eyes welling with tears.

"So… that means… either you had a miscarriage or… wait, can monsters have abortions? I mean, their bodies are made up of magic, so…" asked Frisk.

"There are ways, but they usually result in the loss of fertility. I took that risk. That's why I was so overjoyed when we had Asriel… and it was a surprise when we had Merigold, due to my age." Smiled Toriel.

"So… miscarriage or abortion?" asked Frisk. "I won't judge you if it's the second one, Mom."

"With the help of Ebrima, I caused the death of my first child." Said Toriel.

"Mom…" sighed Asriel.

"I feel that that's the reason why he came to us… after he was banished." Said Gaster. "Toriel… I do not resent you for your choice, and I don't think Ebrima would, either."

"Did you talk it over with him before you did it?" asked Frisk.

"No… and that was probably my first mistake. He was ecstatic about the thought of being a father. That's what led him to change the law so we could marry, but… I wasn't ready to be a mother, and I didn't want to be his wife."

"So… how did he find out?" asked Asriel.

"He noticed I wasn't showing the signs, and asked what had happened. I tried to explain to him that I wasn't ready to be a mother, and he… he went _berserk._ " Said Toriel. "I still remember that night at Ebrima's…"


	9. Dunkelheit der Seele

Before he arrived at Ebrima's house that night, I was pacing back and forth in the living room anxiously. My stomach was flat, and Ebrima was watching me pace like a hawk does its prey. Gaster, who was usually working the evenings as a scientist under Jorin, was home that night to ensure my safety.

"Oh, my God, Ebrima. What am I going to do? I completely forgot to tell him what I was doing with the baby! He's going to flip his lid when he finds out!" I panicked.

"Toriel, calm down. As your closest friend, I have your back. We'll just explain to him that you weren't ready to be a mother. I mean, as it is, you conceived it under the influence, and if I know alcohol, it would have likely killed the child, anyway! Or at the very least, led to a birth defect… regardless, I'm sure he'll understand the situation." Said Ebrima.

"What if he doesn't?!" I asked.

"Well, that's why I asked Gaster to take the night off, just in case. He's much better versed in his blue magic than I am with my orange magic. He's more than capable of deterring any conflict, should the need arise." Reassured Ebrima.

"I know, I know. I'm just nervous, is all." I replied.

"Why would you be nervous? Aberon's been good to you so far." Asked Gaster.

"Well, recently, he's been acting a little more aggressive than usual. At first, I thought it was pressure or stress, since he'll soon be of age to lead, but I went to Asgore about it, and he said that Aberon's been locked in his study late at night. The other day, Asgore found a book that Aberon had left out, and there were spells in it that he'd never heard of, before. Silencing spells, Aura-changing spells, Blood Manipulating spells… I didn't even know such things existed, and where he got the book… I don't even know."

"That's from my private collection… I noticed a book was missing from my shelves about a week ago…" said Gaster, before noticing my shocked expression. "Oh, but Toriel, you don't need to worry."

"It's not Dark Magic, is it?" I asked.

"It's very low-level Dark Magic. Experimental spells, which are meant to re-direct people away from the stuff." Explained Gaster.

"Why would you have such a book in your collection, dear?" asked Ebrima.

"Well, primarily for research, but mostly to keep anyone from the Dreemurr line from using it. No one ever expects a skeleton to know so much about the matter." Said Gaster. "But don't tell anyone I said that. If the populace were to find out, I'd be in _huge_ trouble."

"So long as you promise not to use it, your secret is safe with us." I said. Gaster breathed a sigh of relief, just as the doorbell rang. I froze.

"He's here." I said.

"Calm down… Gaster, go into the dining room, hide in the shadows, and don't make a sound unless absolutely necessary." Instructed Ebrima. Gaster melted into the ground, and slid under the dining room table.

"That's pretty handy." I said.

"Scared the crap out of me first time he did it." Said Ebrima, leaving the room to answer the door. I was left alone for a few seconds, before Aberon entered the room. He looked taller and more ragged than I remembered him being. I also felt something malicious in the air, and I'm almost certain that Ebrima and Gaster felt it, too.

"Toriel, what's going on? I haven't seen you around the castle, lately! I was starting to get worried." Started Aberon, noticing my nervous, and somewhat somber expression.

"Aberon… There's something I need to tell you… we… um… we lost the baby." I said quickly. Aberon stared at me, shocked, and I could sense anger building within him.

"Wh-What?! H-How?! You were doing everything right! All those books you got, all the classes…! How could we lose the baby?!" asked Aberon, flopping down onto the sofa.

"W-Well… um… Aberon… it wouldn't surprise me that what caused this miscarriage had something to do with what were doing the night it was conceived." I said carefully.

"Th-That's not possible…" whispered Aberon.

"I mean, we're both still very young to be having children, Abby… m-maybe it's just the world's way of telling us it's too soon…?" I started, before Aberon pounded his fist on the coffee table.

" _We're both old enough to have children, Toriel!_ How are you so calm about this?! _Why_ are you so calm about this?!" shouted Aberon.

"Please, just let me explain-" I started, before Ebrima interjected. She must have had a reason for doing so, because she was usually so quiet.

"Can't you take a hint?! She's not ready, you royal asshole!" she shouted.

"Ebrima, what are you doing?" I asked quickly.

"Doing the talking, since you're too afraid to be direct with him." Growled Ebrima.

"Ebrima, what are you talking about? How dare you address me that way!" asked Aberon.

"I'm talking about the fact that you screwed my best friend while she was vulnerable!" shouted Ebrima.

"Ebrima, stop… you're making it worse…!" I hissed.

"Don't you get it?! She didn't want the child because she wasn't ready to be a mother!" cried Ebrima. "She came to me, and we… we…" Aberon was now looming over the both of us, angrily staring down at us.

"You killed my child." He said flatly. "The both of you killed my unborn child in the womb… without so much as telling me why you did so beforehand?!"

"Yeah… we did! What does it matter?! You didn't seem to care, all locked up in your studies!" shouted Ebrima, before Aberon raised his hand, and slapped Ebrima across the room.

"Aberon! You _never_ strike a la-" I started, before Aberon bared his claws and cut me across my body. I staggered, and fell to the ground, blood dripping from the wound.

"I'm just getting started." He growled, grabbing me by the throat and lifting me into the air, before slamming me through the wall into the sitting room. My vision was swimming, and I could barely see Aberon in the shadows.

"P-Please! Don't!" I begged, as Aberon pulled a knife from his belt. I recoiled, and tried to escape, but before Aberon could do anything, a blue glow surrounded him and flung him back into the living room wall, cracking the plaster. Gaster stood over him, a furious look upon his face.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" he hissed. "You never strike a lady. No matter who they are or what they've done."

"Stay out of this, G." growled Aberon, before Gaster strengthened the magic, flattening him against the wall, causing it to crack even more.

"I refuse to let you harm Toriel, and I will not stand for you laying hands on my dear Ebrima." Scowled Gaster. "If you come anywhere near here again, I _will_ kill you." Gaster then strengthened his magic again, pushing Aberon through the wall and bouncing into the backyard, before he was halted by a red oak. The oak in question toppled over, and landed on the house behind it.

"Oh, lovely… collateral damage." Said Gaster, hovering out into the heavy rain. "At least I can blame it on the weather this time… Now… for you… we can't have you following us… so…"

"Y-You-" started Aberon.

"Good night." Smiled Gaster, placing his hand on Aberon's head, knocking him unconscious. Aberon fell to the ground in a puddle of mud.

"Pity… you had so much potential as a father and a ruler…" sighed Gaster. "I guess KuBaba was right all along."

"Ding! Get back inside! We need to get Toriel to a hospital! She's losing a lot of blood!" called Ebrima from inside the house. Gaster hurried back inside, and saw the direness of the situation.

"It's all my fault… If I'd just kept my jaw locked, none of this would have happened." Cried Ebrima.

"No… this would have happened, anyway. It's not your fault, Ebs." Sighed Gaster. "On my mark, take my hand, both of you."

Quickly, I took Gaster's hand, as did Ebrima, and we teleported to the nearest hospital. The last thing I remember before losing consciousness was being put on a stretcher.

* * *

"What happened after that?" asked Frisk.

"She was rushed into the emergency room. Ebrima and I had to wait outside, so I made some calls to the castle. One call… actually… to the one person I knew would keep her safe from that abomination." Said Gaster.

"He called me." said Asgore. "I remember I was with my father, doing a late-night review of the properties of Moldsmals and Moldbyggs when I got the call."

* * *

"Prince Asgore? There's an urgent message for you from a Wing Ding Gaster." Said one of the servants, holding a brick of a phone in his hand. Cell phone technology was just beginning to develop.

"Alright… Moldbygg only react to external stimuli, remember that, Father." I said, leaving the room to answer the phone call. "Hello, Gaster! What's up, my bone daddy?"

"Dreemurr, this is not the time for jokes. I'm at the hospital." Said Gaster.

"Why? What happened? Is Ebrima expecting?" I asked. Gaster growled in frustration.

"We've been over this. Ebrima is sterile. This is about Toriel." Grunted Gaster.

"Toriel?! Oh, my God, what happened?!" I shouted.

"Um… a human attacked her. You know how we've been receiving reports of humans starting trouble in our town?" asked Gaster.

"Gaster, what are-" I heard Ebrima say, before it cut out.

"Hello?!" I called.

"Yes, I'm still here." Said Gaster.

"What about Aberon? Is he safe? She said the two of them were going out tonight!" I asked.

"He… ran off. I don't know where, but he left Toriel at the mercy of the humans." Said Gaster.

"He did _nothing_ to protect her?!" I shouted.

"Nothing at all. She got off with a couple of cuts and a few minor fractures. She's lucky I was nearby, otherwise, she'd be dead." Said Gaster.

"Alright. I've heard enough. Where are you?" I asked.

"Central Receiving. About five miles from here." Said Gaster.

"Stay there, and keep an eye on Toriel. I'm on my way." I instructed, lowering the antennae of the cell phone.

"What's the matter?" asked Jorin.

"Toriel was attacked by humans. My guess was bandits." I replied. "Father, this is getting out of hand. The humans are getting more and more bold with these attacks. If we don't do something soon, they could wage war."

"I know, son. I know. I'm doing my best to handle the situation, but as it looks now… War is inevitable. I may have to start adding military tactics to your lessons, and more advanced combat training. We _must_ prepare for the worst. For now, get to Toriel's side and make sure she's alright." Instructed Jorin.

"Yes, sir!" I replied, hurrying from the room and running as fast as I could to the hospital. The carriage drivers had all gone home for the night, so I had to run through the rain. When I arrived, I was soaking wet. I saw Ebrima in the waiting room. As I flung the doors open, Ebrima looked up from her book.

"Asgore?! Did you run here?" she asked.

"That's not important! Where is she? Is she alright?" I asked.

"She's stable, but since I visited her last, she's not woken up. And before you say it, she's not fallen down." Reassured Ebrima. "Trust me, I work with them on the daily."

"Oh, thank God." I breathed in relief, just as one of the nurses walked out, a human.

"Where's Toriel Galingale?!" I asked the nurse.

"Miss Galingale? Oh, she's just fine. Just at the end of the hall, actually." Replied the nurse.

"Thank you." I replied, running to the room as fast as I could. Gaster was sitting next to her, stroking her hand gently.

"She's been out since we got here." Said Gaster. "Still breathing, and most definitely alive. Her HP was down to four by the time we arrived. The doctor said that if we'd gotten here any later, she'd not have made it."

"Why did Aberon run?!" I asked angrily.

"I don't know why. It's unlike him." Said Gaster, just as Toriel began to stir.

"No… stop… it hurts…! Please…!" she whimpered.

"Tori! Are you alright?!" I asked, just as her eyes opened. As if on instinct, her hand flew towards my face, and landed squarely on my jaw. I fell to the ground, and looked up at Toriel, whose hands hand flown to her mouth.

" _Ow! What the hell was that for, Tori?!"_ I shouted.

"Oh, my God! I'm so sorry, Asgore! I didn't mean to… I thought you were…" Toriel trembled.

"Shh… Toriel, it's alright. We're at Central Receiving. I took care of the humans that attacked you." Said Gaster.

"Wh-What… What humans?" asked Toriel.

"The ones that attacked you, remember?" I said. "Gaster told me everything." Toriel looked at Gaster, confused. Gaster nodded.

"O-Oh… right… those humans. Are they dead?" she asked.

"Not dead, but they're not much better off than you are. I made sure of that." Said Gaster.

"What about Aberon?" asked Toriel.

"He ran off, the coward. I don't know where he is, but I can't say that I like his cowardice." I said. Gaster grunted, and stood up.

"I'll give you two some space. I'm glad I could help you, Miss Galingale." He said.

"You did more than help, Gaster. You saved her life, and I'm forever indebted to you. If there's anything I can do to repay you, just say the word." I said gratefully.

"We'll discuss that later. For now, I'll just leave you two alone." Said Gaster, looking to the two of us. He gave Toriel a quick look, before leaving the room.

"Asgore… I… I'm sorry… I-" Toriel started, before I wrapped her up in a big hug.

"I was so scared for you, Toriel. When I heard what happened, I thought I was going to lose you…" I cried. Toriel sighed, and wrapped her arms around me.

"Please… don't waste your tears on a servant girl." She said.

"Tori… You're not my servant girl. You never were." I replied, shocked, leaning her back on the bed.

"But after the letter incident-"

"I was upset, sure, but I want you to remember the promise we made. Did Aberon and you break up? Is that why he ran?" I asked.

"You could say that." Said Toriel hotly. "And I don't want anything to do with that coward… Jorin thought he loved me… and you did, too."

"Tori, do you know why he went after you? He wanted to prove he was better than me. But after what happened tonight… it just proves otherwise." I sighed. "I just can't do this anymore, Tori."

"Do what, Asgore?" asked Toriel.

"Sit on the sidelines, and watch you get hurt. There hasn't been a day that's gone by that I haven't stopped loving you." I said.

"You really mean that?" asked Toriel.

"I love you more than I love my own life. I would sacrifice everything for you!" I said, before chuckling.

"What's so funny?" Toriel asked.

"I had this crazy idea a few years back that we'd just run away together. Not tell anyone, just forge our own path in the world." I smiled.

"Well, what's stopping us?" questioned Toriel.

"The kingdom. The amount of attacks on monsters by humans has been growing steadily higher over the last few years. If I just left, who would run the kingdom, but Aberon?" I said.

" _No!_ We-we can't let that happen! Who knows what'll happen if he…ach…" groaned Toriel.

"Easy, Tori. You're still freshly injured." I sighed.

"What if this happens again?" asked Toriel.

"It won't. I won't let it." I replied, taking her hand. "I promise, that as long as I'm around, I won't let anything hurt you again."

"Oh, Asgore…" groaned Toriel, squeezing my hand. "There's actually something… I want to say to you… about… us. Your brother and I…"

"Oh…?" I sighed.

"The truth is… I never _truly_ loved him. I thought I did at one point… but that feeling faded over time… My heart was always somewhere else… with you." Explained Toriel.

"So… what are you trying to say?" I asked.

"I missed spending my time with you. Being with you in the garden… reading stories with you… or just relaxing out in the fields behind the castle during the summertime. Whenever I was with you, I felt like the sun would never stop shining. What I'm trying to say is… I don't love him… I love _you._ "

"Are… are you serious?" I asked.

"Well, put it this way. Your lady's eyes are shining for you in the pale starlight." Recited Toriel.

"Oh, Toriel…" I whimpered.

"My Asgore." Whispered Toriel, leaning in for a kiss.

"My Toriel…" I whispered, kissing her on the lips.

* * *

"That was the happiest moment I had ever felt… well… at the time, anyway." Blushed Toriel.

"So… did you two stay the whole night and cuddle?" asked Frisk dreamily.

"I likely would have broken the bed… and hospital visiting hours were a thing, even back then. But I stayed as long as I could, even after Toriel fell asleep. I stayed there until they told me I had to leave. I left with Gaster, who teleported me home. I was understandably exhausted, and I got myself ready for bed. It was in the wee hours of the morning that I heard a door open in the front hallway. I went to go investigate, and lo and behold, it was Aberon. His face was covered in mud, and I could tell from how drenched he was that he'd been looking for the castle for hours.

"Oh, well, look what the Lesser Dog dragged back to the kennel!" I called, descending the stairs towards Aberon. "I should welcome you, but I don't associate with cowards too often."

"Asgore, please! I need to find Toriel! I've been looking for her all night!" Aberon cried, almost panicked.

"Oh, so _now_ you care about her? After what you did?" I asked angrily.

"Asgore, what are you talking about?!" Aberon asked.

"Gaster told me everything! How could you do that to her?! How could you just _strand_ a _poor defenseless girl_ to die?!" I growled, grabbing a hold of Aberon's collar.

"N-No! I didn't-" started Aberon.

"Because of your actions, she nearly died! If it wasn't for Gaster and Ebrima, she likely would have!" I shouted.

"Please, Asgore, just tell me where she is, I just want to talk to her!" pleaded Aberon.

"Well, you can forget about it! Because she told me she doesn't want anything to do with you. And I can understand why." I growled, tossing him to the ground. "Forget about the promise we made as kids, Aberon. What you've done is a personal attack, both to her and to me. For eight years, I stood by your side, building you up, encouraging you, letting you have your way! But this?! You're lucky I haven't told Father, yet; otherwise, you'd be facing some major time in the dungeons. Mark my words, Aberon: If you ever… _ever…_ do anything like that to her again, I _will_ make you suffer what she suffered a hundredfold."

"A-Asgore… Please…"

"Keep away from my girlfriend. _Is that clear?!"_ I commanded, turning away from him.

" _Girlfriend?! You?!_ " growled Aberon, scrambling to his feet and grabbing my shoulders. I flipped around, sword point at his chin.

"Don't. Touch me. _Again._ " I growled.

" _What do you mean, girlfriend?! Toriel's my girl!"_ shouted Aberon.

"Not anymore. Not ever. She said it to me last night; she never loved you." I stated.

"You're _lying!_ "

"Have I _ever_ lied to you before?! _You've lied so many times to me, I don't even know what to believe anymore!_ " I shouted, before the sound of footsteps rumbled downstairs.

"What is going on down here?!" called Jorin.

"Oh, you know, just a bit of karma here, a bit of reprimanding there." I replied snarkily.

"I meant, why do you have your sword out, Asgore?!" asked Jorin.

"Self-defense from this deserter." I replied.

"Care to explain where you were, Aberon?" questioned Jorin. Aberon looked to me, and then back at father.

"I was out… that's all you need to know. I'm going to bed." He growled, pushing me aside and walking up the stairs. Jorin stared after his mud-covered son before turning back to me.

"Maybe you can explain to me why your brother was covered in mud and dust?" inquired Jorin.

"All I know is that he abandoned Toriel when she was attacked by the humans. He likely tripped in the dark, and got covered. As for the dust, I've no idea." I replied.

"How is she, by the way?" wondered Jorin.

"She's doing well. I left her sleeping in the hospital. If I'm not busy in the morning, I plan on bringing a book to read to her when I visit." I replied.

"I'm guessing that she and Aberon broke up, and she's with you, now?" guessed Jorin.

"Define 'broke up', father." I smirked. "She told me she never loved him."

"Well… All I can say is that it's about time… she deserves so much better than that weasel." Said Jorin.

"Dad, he's just as much your son as I am!" I said, amazed.

"Much to my chagrin and disappointment. I found out about the letter. I'm sorry I didn't believe you, Asgore." Said Jorin.

"He's going to take your place when you pass away, though!" I replied.

"Are you so sure?" Jorin asked.

"He's the eldest!" I shot back.

"And that matters just about as much as the Temmie History I teach you!" Jorin fired back. "I was going to wait until the two of you came of age, but time is cruel. I'm already feeling my age affect my movement and decision-making skills. In about a year's time, we'll let fate decide who the next king will be."

"Father, w-wait, you can't be serious… you're not… d-dying… are you…?" I stuttered.

"Not yet… but I fear if there is going to be a war… I will not see it to its end." Said Jorin.

"Father, is there anything we can do to stop it?" I asked.

"It is natural, my son. Death comes to all in the end. But I need to be sure that I leave my kingdom in the right hands when the time comes. Do not speak of this to anyone. I don't wish to raise a panic. Especially not your brother." Instructed Jorin quietly. "Can you do this?"

"Of course." I nodded.

"Good boy… now… off to bed. Tomorrow is another day." Smiled Jorin, as I ran up the stairs toward my own bedroom.


	10. The Trident Chooses The King

"Oh, my gosh, you roasted your big brother, and you didn't even know what truly happened! That, on its own, is pretty impressive." Laughed Frisk.

"If I'd known what truly happened that day, I likely would have killed him. I almost did when I found out. If Tori hadn't intervened, I probably would have finished the job." Said Asgore. "But that's beside the point. After that day, every day felt like a dream. Spending time with your mother, even though the courtship was only for a year, was the best year of my life. I thought that nothing could change. But, oh, was I wrong."

"What happened?" asked Sans.

"War. Whatever relations existed between us and the humans were quickly being severed. It was only matter of time before the first massacre occurred. After that horrid battle, there was nothing but blood and ash where a small monster village used to be." Said Asgore. "Monsters were enlisting for the Royal Guard by the thousands… even those that were underaged children. Even I enlisted in the Guard, and so did Aberon and Toriel… as a Battle Maiden."

"Once I'd heard that children were getting involved, I couldn't stand on the sidelines anymore; I had to do something." Said Toriel.

"Jorin began to worry about the future of our race, and one day, when we had reached twenty-one years of age, he called us in for training. We'd thought it would have been standard combat training, but little did we know that this particular session would change everything." Said Asgore.

* * *

As we approached the garden, we saw Jorin was holding a trident we had only seen once before, during a criminal execution. I was, understandably, the first to speak up.

"Father, what is that? What's going on?" I asked.

"Boys, this is something that I've trained you for my whole life. This trident has been passed down the Dreemurr line since the beginning of our dynasty. As such, each king has been chosen by the trident as its master and ruler… and it has never been wrong. But… there have never been twins in our family. Naturally, it would have gone to the elder, but since the two of you were born on the same day, it seems only fitting that the both of you should try." Said Jorin.

"So… that thing chooses the next ruler… huh?" I gulped.

"About damn time… I was wondering when you were going to tell us who's on top in this family." Grunted Aberon.

"Shut up, Aberon." I growled in response.

"Enough, you two." Hissed Jorin. "I will not have you bickering over this."

"Sorry, Dad. So, how does this work?" I asked.

"Well, as you can see, it glows red while I hold it, as I am the current king. I will pass it to each of you. The brighter it glows, the worthier the holder is to be king. Aberon, as you are the older, you will go first. Use both hands, it's quite heavy." Said Jorin, handing the trident to Aberon gingerly. As the trident touched his hands, something unusual happened that had never happened before: It went dull grey, and became very heavy, causing Aberon to nearly fall to the ground.

"Oof! Is… this… supposed… to happen?" strained Aberon, trying to lift the trident off the ground with maximum effort.

"Odd… it's not supposed to go grey until a king dies…" sighed Jorin.

"Maybe this thing's just old and lost its power…?" suggested Aberon.

"I think there's more to it than that, Aberon." Said Jorin. "It could simply mean that you're not worthy to rule in the trident's eyes."

"W-What are you talking about?! Of course, I am!" stammered Aberon. "Come on, you stupid thing, _work!_ " Aberon began to shake the trident in desperation.

"There is only one thing to do to be absolutely sure. Aberon, hand the trident to your brother, please." Instructed Jorin.

"W-Why?!" asked Aberon angrily.

"I think you know why, Abby." I said uneasily.

"You shut your damn mouth!" shouted Aberon.

"Aberon, do as I say." Said Jorin firmly.

"No, I-I refuse! This thing is just-"

"Aberon. Hand it to your brother, or I will charge you with high treason." Said Jorin.

"You wouldn't do that to your own son, would you?!" asked Aberon.

"I will, if you don't do as you're told." Growled Jorin. Aberon glared at Jorin, and scoffed.

"Fine. I doubt he'd be much better, the spineless idiot!" said Aberon, reluctantly handing the trident over to me. As he did so, the trident glowed a bright reddish-pink, and shone brighter than the sun. I was able to lift it with only one hand, and swing it around my head.

"Incredible." Grinned Jorin.

"Impossible!" shouted Aberon. "How the hell can he be the next king?! He's a second-born nobody!"

"Asgore was right all along. Age does not make the king; it's his duty and dedication to his people. You, Aberon, only care about power." Said Jorin, causing Aberon's teeth to grind. Noticing this, I looked down at the trident for a moment, and pulled my father aside.

"Father, I don't want to hide my joy about being chose for the throne, but, at the same time… I feel like I cheated my brother out of his spot to rule." I said.

"The trident chooses the one true king, Asgore." Said Jorin.

"Yes, and I understand that. But… as you said, there've never been twins in the family. So, I have this idea that may work for both of us… that is, if he's up for it." I said, turning to Aberon, who was glaring at the both of us hostilely.

"And what, pray tell, would that be?!" he asked me through gritted teeth.

"Well, I was thinking that maybe we could rule together? I mean, there's no law forbidding it, right, Father?" I asked, turning to Jorin.

"I do not recommend it, but you are correct. However, if you choose to do this, Aberon will only be your advisor, to assist you, as he has studied more than you have, Asgore. But, Aberon will have to make that decision on his own." Said Jorin.

"So, brother? What do you say? Do you want to help me rule?" I asked.

"Eh heh… Although I appreciate the gesture, _Your Highness_ , I refuse to play second fiddle to someone who takes everything, no matter who it hurts." Said Aberon.

"Wow. Hello, Pot. My name's Kettle. Aren't you just calling people black, today?" I growled, offended by his words.

"Well, there's your answer, Asgore. Come. We must make some adjustments to the schedule for the ball, tomorrow." Said Jorin, heading towards the castle. "Oh, and Aberon?"

"What do you want, old man?" asked Aberon hotly.

"I suggest you start showing some respect for authority before tomorrow night." Instructed Jorin. "There will be important diplomats from both races that we hope to make allies during this dark time."

"Whatever…" sighed Aberon, pushing past me.

"Hey! Manners!" I shouted, before Aberon grabbed me by the collar.

"You'd better watch your ass. Now that you're next in line, people will start coming after you, brother." Said Aberon quietly.

"You don't scare me. I'm not a crybaby anymore." I replied.

"Oh, I'm not trying to scare you. I'm just simply stating the facts. Comes with the turf." Said Aberon, releasing his grip on me. "Be careful, Asgore. And… do me a favor. Keep an eye on the little snail you fawn over so much. She's known to… wander... with other men."


	11. The Proposal

" _HE SAID THAT ABOUT ME?!"_ shrieked Toriel.

"He did. And I decked him for it, right there. But I had other things on my mind aside from my brother." Said Asgore.

"And what was that?" asked Asriel.

"Well, while everyone else was getting ready for the ball the next day, Tori and I wandered into one of the castle's many storage rooms." Replied Asgore. "See, I had a little surprise for your mother, and I wanted to make sure everything was perfect."

* * *

"Dreemurr, what are we doing up here? Shouldn't we be getting ready for the ball?" asked Toriel, as I dragged her into the storage closet by the hand.

"We will, we will! I just wanted to show you something." I said, pulling down a box containing a white and purple dress from one of the shelves, with thin flowing sleeves and a billowing, two-tone purple skirt that touched the floor. In the center, embroidered into the fabric with sequins, was the Dreemur Family Crest.

"I wanted you to try this on and see how it fits." I smiled. "Don't worry. I won't look."

"We both know you'll sneak a peek or two. Booples." Smiled Toriel, poking me on the nose. My tongue flipped out of my snout instinctively, and Toriel gasped.

"I didn't know you did that, too!" she laughed.

"Juspt shangepth." I said, my tongue still lolling out of my mouth as I turned around. Toriel changed out of her work clothes, and into the gown. Toriel grunted with effort as she pulled the dress up carefully around her body.

"I-It's a little tight in the gut, but I think it'll work." Toriel strained. "Though, I could use some help with the buttons."

"Alright… I'll help… you… with… th…" I said, my voice trailing off as I saw her in the dress. One of the shoulders was still hanging off of her body, but aside from that… she looked just like her.

"Tori… you look… you look…" I stammered.

"Oh, no… Does it look bad? I can change back-" said Toriel, beginning to remove the dress.

"No, no, no! You don't look bad at all! In fact, this is the best you've ever looked. She would be proud to see it fitting you so well." I smiled, readjusting the shoulder, and beginning to button the buttons on the back of the dress.

"'She'?" asked Toriel.

"This dress belonged to my mother. She wore it every time the Solstice Ball rolled around, according to my dad. Tonight, you will be present at the ball, but not as a servant. Tonight, you are my honored guest." I smiled. I heard a small whimper escape Toriel's mouth, and I looked up.

"What's wrong, Tori?" I asked. Toriel turned, a smile on her face, tears staining her fur.

"Nothing, Gorey… It's just… I haven't felt this happy since I lost my mother. I miss her so much…!" sobbed Toriel. "She would have loved to see me in this."

"I know she would have." I said, holding Toriel's chin and looking deep into her ruby-red eyes. "You're so beautiful, Toriel… like a queen…"

"Asgore… I… I really think we… should be… getting… Oh… what the hell am I doing…?" said Toriel dreamily, before leaning in for a kiss. As the two of us locked lips, I knew there was no better night than that night to do what I needed to do…

* * *

"Was it mom?" asked Asriel.

"Wh-What?! N-No! Th-That didn't happen until two months later!" shouted Asgore in embarrassment. "What the hell, son?!"

"D'aawww… Gorey, you're so cute when you're flustered." Tittered Toriel.

"What happened that night?" asked Frisk.

"Well… it was nothing short of magical." Said Toriel.

* * *

The party was in full swing, and Asgore approached me with a glass of Raspberry Punch. He asked me if I wanted to go for a walk in the gardens to get some air, and I said yes. We left the crowded ballroom, full of pompous and stuffy diplomats, and into the night. We went through the maze separately; Asgore said he had a surprise for me, and he wanted me to find him at the center. Curious younger me ran right in blindly. I followed the candlelight that shone under the bushes, and immediately, I knew he'd set up something romantic. When I finally reached the center, I saw him sitting on the marble bench where I had once sat. Rose petals were scattered all over the ground, and bordering the fountain were candles.

"Gorey…? What's all this…?" I asked him.

"You'll see. Come and sit. It's lonely here without you." Asgore smiled. Smirking playfully, I joined him on the bench.

"Tori… be honest… do you like it here?" Asgore asked me.

"Of course, I do! It's been my home ever since I was a child!" I exclaimed.

"Tori, the reason I ask is because I'm not sure how much longer this place will remain our home." Said Asgore.

"Asgore, what are you talking about?" I asked, concerned now.

"I've heard rumors that the humans are attacking the major monster cities. And they're falling… one by one, they are falling. If this continues, they'll soon reach the capital, Monstrus, where all the refugees are going. And if Monstrus falls, Dreemurr Castle's next. They won't even infiltrate. They'll just lob fireballs from their catapults and burn everything and everyone inside." Asgore said flatly.

"Asgore, stop! I'm already scared enough about losing you." I cried.

"It won't happen. I promised I'd keep you safe, and I've done well enough, so far. But that's not why I brought you here tonight." Asgore sighed. "The reason I brought you here tonight is because my father won't live to the end of this war… and I can't lead a whole population of monsters on my own. I can't… it's too much… I don't want to end up like my father… alone... without a queen to help me survive the nights."

"Asgore… is this all for me?" I asked. He took me by the hand, and grabbed a wooden box. It was medium sized, and fit in my lap.

"Toriel… I've loved you from the moment I met you when we were children. Every day that has followed has been a blessing. Whenever you left, I felt like the sun had set. And whenever you returned, the sun rose again. You brought the light into my life where there once was none… I… I don't want it to end… and I don't want it to end alone." Said Asgore, opening the box. Inside was a beautiful, rose-gold tiara, with amethysts set into the center. I was absolutely speechless. I knew what was happening now.

"Asgore…?" I stuttered, as he pulled out a beautiful diamond ring.

"Toriel Rosemary Galingale… would you save this monster from a life of solitude, and be his queen, now and forevermore?" he asked me. I slipped off the bench to my knees, and I couldn't even answer with words, for all I could do… was cry. I gave him the biggest smile I could muster, and nodded, flinging myself into his arms, and squeezing him tightly.

* * *

" _That…_ was the happiest moment I had ever felt, children."


	12. Sins Of The Father (Yeah, I went there)

"And here I thought your proposal was sappy, Sans!" whimpered Frisk through gross, bulbous tears. "Awawaaaahhh! So ro - _man-_ tic!" As Frisk spoke, a blob of green mucus fell out of her nose, and Sans handed her a tissue.

"But it wasn't all sunshine and rainbows, was it? I mean, you had the war to worry about, and all the political stuff, and then there was the actual wedding-" started Sans.

"Actually, before any of that happened, there was one thing that needed to be done, if I were to truly be happy." Sighed Toriel.

"What was that, Mom?" asked Merigold.

"He had to know the truth about how I found myself in the hospital. It was quite difficult to tell him, given the night it was, and what had happened a few hours prior with the proposal, but I knew that I couldn't hold it back forever." Said Toriel. "It was after the party had ended, and we were getting ready for bed. For the first time in our relationship, Asgore and I were allowed to sleep together in the same bed."

"Initially, I sensed that something was wrong, and I assumed that it would be about the marriage. I walked up behind her, and rubbed her shoulders. She was tense." Said Asgore.

* * *

"Toriel, are you alright?" I asked.

"No… I'm not." Replied Toriel.

"Whatever's troubling you, you can tell me. I mean, I have my doubts about how this whole marriage thing's going to go down-"

"N-No! That's not what I'm worried about." said Toriel.

"Oh… well, then, what's troubling you?" I asked.

"Asgore, do you remember that night, about a year ago, when I was in the hospital? Gaster had protected me and brought me there." Replied Toriel.

"Of course, I do. You were attacked by humans-"

"No, I wasn't. I was attacked, but not by humans." Said Toriel, turning to me, a serious expression on her face.

"Then, who attacked you? Why did you lie to me?" I asked.

"Let me explain, first… Oh, but where should I start, um…" started Toriel, moving towards the bed. "Remember when I was pregnant?"

"Of course! Aberon told me about it." I replied. "I had assumed that the 'human attack' caused the miscarriage, but…"

"No, Dreemurr… That was Ebrima and I. I wasn't ready to be a mother yet… well, I mean, I _was_ , but not to his child." Explained Toriel. "Ebrima and I killed the fetus, and we had him come over to Ebrima's home to tell him… and I tried to approach the subject delicately." Toriel was beginning to cry as she explained. "But… Ebrima had to open her big jaw, and…"

"No… No, he _didn't…_ " I growled.

"He got angry, and lashed out… both at Ebrima, and at me. Ebrima had a minor concussion, and I was thrown through a wall, cut by his claws, and I was so scared that I thought I was going to die. But Gaster stood up for me. I don't remember what happened clearly, but I was at the hospital when I saw you… so…"

"Tori… why didn't you tell me?" I asked.

"Because I was afraid you'd see me differently, and that you'd hurt or even kill your own brother. If I wasn't so weak and trusting, none of that would have happened!" cried Toriel.

"Toriel, it wasn't your fault. You are not weak, and I know that for a fact. Battle Maidens are few and far apart on the battlefield. Freya, our Captain, is one of our strongest fighters, and you nearly match her in battle!" I smiled.

"So, you're not angry with me?" asked Toriel.

"No! Of course not! I'm glad you told me, but I'm more hurt that you didn't tell me the truth sooner." I said.

"I know… God, I'm sorry, Asgore. I might have ruined our chances of a lineage by doing that." Toriel sighed. "I know how much you want children, especially a son to carry on the Dreemurr dynasty, but… I don't…"

"Don't worry, Tori. We'll figure something out. Push comes to shove, we'll go to Gaster. He's been working on a process for giving children to sterile couples by using some samples from the couple's DNA. He's done it five times already, successfully. After the sixth test, he was going to do the same for Ebrima and him. Everything is going to be fine." I grinned. At that moment, Toriel's stomach growled.

"Oh, dear. I guess I didn't have so much to eat tonight, after all. I didn't want to rip the dress." Explained Toriel with a chuckle. "I'll go get something from the kitchen."

"No, no, no… You get to bed. I'll be back with something." I replied, moving to the bedroom door.

"Go straight to the kitchen, and come right back, Dreemurr." Instructed Toriel.

"No worries, Tori. I'll be right back. What, do you think I'm going to kill him?" I asked.

" _Potentially!_ I mean it! Kitchen, back, no detours." Growled Toriel. "I don't want blood on the carpet."

"Alright, alright…! Yeesh!" I said, heading towards the kitchen.

* * *

"You totally detoured, didn't you?" asked Asriel.

"No, actually… Though, it was my original plan to do so." Said Asgore. "Anyway, I went to the kitchen, only to find you-know-who in said kitchen, rummaging through the refrigerator for a midnight snack. My mind was already focused on harming him, despite what Toriel had said, and as I entered the kitchen, he looked up and stared at me. He smirked.

* * *

"Oh! Hey. You here for a snack, too? The finger-sandwiches just did not cut it, tonight." Said Aberon casually, returning to his rummaging.

"Yeah… they really didn't." I replied. "So… I finally heard from Ebrima about the renovations to her house. They're just about finished."

"I heard. They were busting out a wall to get some more room in their parlor. How did it look, did you see?" asked Aberon.

"It looked pretty good… I mean, once they cleaned up all the blood stains, that is." I replied calmly.

"B-Blood stains?" asked Aberon.

"Oh, you mean you don't remember? You don't remember striking Ebrima? You don't remember throwing Toriel through a wall?" I asked, my voice steadily growing angrier.

"Uh… I… I thought you knew about that! I mean, you confronted me about it when I got home that night-" started Aberon.

"I was told that _humans_ had attacked her, and that you ran off like a coward! It was only until five minutes ago that I thought that was the truth." I growled.

"And you want me to apologize?! What do you think I've been trying to do for the last year?! Every time I tried to say something, that little whore clung to you like a leech!" Aberon yelled, sending me into a rage. I grabbed him by the throat, summoning a sword from the moist air of the freezer.

" _Take that back, or I'll slit your throat!"_ I shouted.

"Go… ahead…! Do it! Get those Pacifist… hands… dirty!" choked Aberon.

"I'm _warning you! Take it back, or I_ will _-_ " I shouted, pressing the sword against his throat, just as a scream echoed from Toriel's bedroom.

"Tori?!" I called, running from the kitchen up to the bedroom, leaving Aberon sputtering on the floor. As I reached the hallway leading up to it, Toriel burst from the room, scared out of her wits. Behind her, a set of red knives flew through the doorframe, embedding themselves in the wall, before disappearing. As Toriel approached, I saw that she was bleeding from a cut near her eye and a wound near her stomach.

"Toriel, what's going on?! Why are you hurt?!" I asked quickly, before Toriel pointed back towards the bedroom, speechless, as a man with glowing red eyes exited the room, a skeletal smile tattooed onto his face. His hair was a deep chestnut, and he was dressed head to toe in black. Knife belts wrapped around his chest and waist, and from one of the pockets, he pulled a serrated combat knife.

"Well, well, well… looks like royalty clings to royalty… but then again, you're not royalty, are you, pretty lady?" asked the man. "You're just some commoner slut who managed to get lucky servicing the right family."

"How _dare_ you! I am a lady, you foul creature, and your future queen!" shouted Toriel.

"Pfffft, Ha hah hah hah hah! You monsters don't have any authority over my kind! Never have, and never will. I mean, just look at you! All magic and no substance! You're all lower than animals…!" shouted the man. "How appropriate, seeing as you're being hunted like one."

"Who are you, and what are you doing in our home?!" I shrieked.

"Oh, but pardon me. We haven't even been properly introduced yet." Said the man, bowing. "The name's Asher. Asher Corellian. I'm an assassin, by trade, and I'm the best at what I do: Killing for money. And someone put a hefty price on your heads." As he spoke, Asher began bouncing the knife in his hand and pointing it at us. "Well… one of yours, at least. You Boss Monsters all look alike to me."

"Who sent you?!" I shouted angrily.

"Sorry, but I've made it a rule of thumb to never reveal my employer's names. It's bad for business if a target survives, I hope you'll understand. Gotta put bread on the family table, and I can't do that if I'm dead." Replied Asher snidely. "Now, enough chit-chat. Who dies first?"

"Oh…? So you have a family, do you?" I asked.

"Wife and two kids. One's two, and the other's a few days old. What's it to you?" asked Asher.

"I don't believe that your family would want to remember you as a murderer and a traitor to their country. So, I'll give you this one and final warning. If you leave now, I'll forget your intrusion." I tried persuading Asher. Asher smiled solemnly.

"Sorry, Your Highness… But there are people that I have to provide for back home, and if I chickened out now, they'd die. If I died trying, they'd at least be spared. He made that very clear." Sighed Asher, raising his knife again. "Well, then… at least make it interesting for me, will ya?"

"Tori, run. Get help. I'll hold him off." I said in a hushed whisper. Toriel nodded and began to run, but Asher just laughed.

"Not so fast, princess." He said, snapping his fingers as a blue cage ensnared her.

" _What?! Let me out- Ow!"_ cried Toriel, pounding on the bars of the cage and recoiling from the searing pain.

"I'm sure you're familiar with how Blue Magic works, but I've added my own little gimmick for those dumb enough to try and escape." Grinned Asher, snapping his fingers again, as shots of electricity branched from the bars of the cage, knocking Toriel unconscious.

" _Toriel!_ What have you done to my fiancé?!" I screamed.

"Calm down, goat boy. I just knocked her out. But if she keeps trying, the voltage will only increase until it's as strong as a bolt of lightning. She won't even go through the Fallen Down stage." Explained Asher.

"Tori… You monster! Leave her alone, she never did anything wrong!" I screamed.

"Nah… Don't think I will. Can't have her alerting the Guards… speaking of, you really need to train them better. I was able to ash the two at the front gate, no problem. All it took was a single DT Dagger to their throats, and they dissolved in an instant. Just like you will if you resist." Chided Asher.

"If you let her go, I won't resist." I said.

"…You monsters, always trying to find a way out. Tell you what, I'll cut you a deal: If you put up a good fight, regardless of whether you win or lose, I'll let her go, and you can have your fun little war with us humans. I mean, let's be honest, it's a lost cause at this point. The humans are going to win, and unless you surrender, we'll be fertilizing our crops with your ashes." Bargained Asher with a shrug and a smile. I looked to Toriel, still unconscious, and I realized I had no choice. I nodded summoned a fiery sword and pointed it at Asher.

"Very well, but know this: You've messed with the wrong monster. You fight the next King of Monsters, you fool!" I growled, running towards Asher. Asher backpedaled down the hall, a grin on his face as he dodged every single one of my swipes at him.

"Oh, come on, Dreemurr. I know you can fight better than that." Joked Asher, taking a swipe at me. I barely dodged it, and hit him in the back of the head with the butt of my sword. He was sent reeling back towards Toriel, and he began rubbing the back of his head.

"Ach… Geez, that _actually_ hurt…!" moaned Asher.

"You said you wanted a fight. Out of curiosity, what are your stats?" I asked, pulling up Asher's stats. "Hm… LV 4… Attack 58… Defense 43… HP 45/77. For someone with such a good Defense stat, you take damage like it's nothing."

"Check again, old man!" grinned Asher as he disappeared from my view.

"What?! Th-That's not-"

" _Surprise!"_ shouted Asher from behind me, catching me off-guard as he caught me across the back with one of his knives.

"Gah! _Damn you!"_ I shouted.

"Heh ha hah hah hah hah hah hah! What, you didn't think I'd know how to create an after-image? Trained assassin, you dumbass." Laughed Asher, pulling up his stats.

LV 21

HP 300/325

Attack: 145

Defense: 145

"I'm surprised that a future king wouldn't know about such an old trick." Grinned Asher, raising his knife. "You're pathetic. Killing you is an act of Mercy."

"Mercy? You wouldn't know anything about Mercy!" I shouted, shooting a fireball at his chest, which caught him off guard and did a significant amount of damage, both to him and his outfit.

"Fire Magic?! He didn't say anything about Fire Magic!" Asher hissed, grabbing a nearby flower vase and dousing the fire. I felt blood dripping down my back, but I stood firm, despite the pain. As I rushed forward again, I noticed that Asher's movements had slowed down considerably, and the pain was beginning to show on his face.

"Losing some energy, are we?" I chided, pressing my sword against his knife with whatever strength I could muster. "You should have known that creating an after-image takes stamina, something you seem to lack!"

"I've still got the upper hand!" shouted Asher. "Turn around, see who's awake!"

I turned back to the cage and saw that Toriel was staring at the two of us, fear in her eyes.

"Tori!" I shouted, turning back to Asher, who was beginning to struggle under my weight. I hopped off of Asher, and ran to Toriel's side, keeping an eye on Asher as I did.

"Asgore, you're hurt!" she cried.

"It's nothing compared to what he might do to you if you touch those bars. Keep still, and don't touch anything. He said that if I put up a good fight, win or lose, he'd release you, but- _Aaggh!"_ I shouted, as Asher stabbed me in the side with his knife. In a blind attack, I grabbed at Asher's head, and slammed him into the bars of his cage. Electricity shot through his body, and Asher screamed in pain as I held him there. I watched his health drain, and as soon as it reached ten, I pulled him away, and tossed him down the stairs. His body rolled and crumpled like a piece of paper, and he began to crawl towards the front door.

"You're not getting away!" I shouted, as I grabbed him by the skull. "There's no point in fighting any longer; let her go, and I'll consider sparing you. If you don't, I'll-"

"I-I… I'm… s-sorry! But I can't fail her…! I have… to give my family… a chance to survive!" croaked Asher. "I can't… let him kill my daughter! I… I can't!" Asher began to cry, the tears mixing with the blood on his face.

"Whatever your employer paid, I'll double it. I can help you! Just let her go!" I begged. "Please!" Asher stared down at me, and raised his hand. I turned, and saw that the cage surrounding Toriel had vanished. I set Asher down on the ground, and he fell to his knees.

"She's everything to me! Please, I can't leave her to die!" wept Asher. "If he finds out I failed, she… they… Oh, God… What do I do?"

"I'll help you. I know that you were forced into this, and I will see that this person will die for what he put you up to. Please… Tell me who he is." I said.

"I-I can't! It's my code as an assassin! I won't put anyone else in danger!" cried Asher. "A-At least promise me that you'll take care of my daughter and my family, should something happen!"

"I can do that. Just tell me her name and where she is." I asked.

"We live at the base of Mt. Ebott, a little town called North Lennal. My daughter's name is…"

* * *

|"Chara."|


	13. The Fate of Asher

"Chara." Said Asgore. Both Frisk and Asriel gasped. Gaster sighed.

"There it is…" Gaster groaned, cracking his spine.

"Chara?!" shouted Asriel. " _Our_ Chara?! The Chara that I knew as a child?!"

"Yes, son. The very same Chara." Nodded Asgore.

"Wh… What, I… Okay, wait… Okay, I have two questions. First, Asriel, did Chara ever mention the gender of her younger sibling?" asked Frisk.

"Yeah, she did… um… a brother… named… uh… Corin, I think." Replied Asriel. Frisk's eyes widened, and she shivered as she turned back to Asgore.

"S-Second question. What was the last name, again?" she asked.

"Corellian." Replied Asgore.

"Th…That's… That's my maiden name. The name I was given at birth!" trembled Frisk. "And if that's true, then… then that means…" gasped Frisk.

"Wait, you're a Corellian?!" asked Asriel, shocked.

"Yes! I am! That means Chara was my aunt! Oh… Oh, shit, I killed my aunt in Waterfall and stuffed her spirit in the locket…" said Frisk, as the locket around her neck began to glow through her shirt and beat against the fabric.

"Friiiiiiisk?! FRIIIIIIIIIIISSSSK?! Let me out! I want to talk about this! _Rrrrright now!_ " shouted Chara. Frisk frantically pulled the locket from her shirt and clicked it open. Chara's spirit floated out, glowing red with Determination. She stared down at Frisk.

"Chara, I'm so sorry, if I'd known, I-" started Frisk, before Chara hugged her.

"I thought that, after the villagers killed Asriel that they would have killed Corin, too… because he stood up for him and tried to protect him! But not only did he live… He had a beautiful daughter." Smiled Chara.

"I only wish I could have known him. He died before I was born." Sighed Frisk.

"Killed by Aberon." Growled Chara. "Or rather… one of his minions, more likely."

"But, Dad… you didn't kill Asher, did you?" asked Frisk.

"You didn't kill my father, did you?" asked Chara, floating quickly towards Asgore. Asgore stared nervously up at Chara.

"Well, um… some people are not nearly as merciful as I am." He replied quickly. "But to answer your question… no, I did not. I would have genuinely helped him."

"Then who _did?! Answer me, Asgore!"_ pleaded Chara, tears falling from her eyes. " _Who killed my father?!"_

"Asgore?!" said Asgore, almost indignantly.

"You're her dad, not mine! Did you kill my father or not!" shrieked Chara.

" _Chara! That's enough!"_ Frisk shouted. Chara turned to look at Frisk, who was glaring at her angrily.

"Keep in mind that your father almost killed them, Chara. An act like that wouldn't have gone unpunished!" said Frisk.

"He was doing it so that I could survive the war! That war did terrible things to all sorts of good people. People like you. People… People like my father." Cried Chara, grabbing Frisk by the collar. "Do you know what happened to his Soul Trait? It changed from Charity to Envy. All because Monsters and Humans around him took from him and never gave back like he did; he grew jealous of what they had and he didn't, and it drove him to become an assassin! He killed to survive, and in turn, he became something that no one would recognize…" Chara relinquished her grip on Frisk.

"I doubt someone like you would understand what he did for us." Said Chara, averting her gaze.

"Chara…" sighed Frisk. "Dad, who killed Asher?" Chara turned towards Asgore.

"Yeah… who killed him? Was it Aberon, too?" she asked.

"No… it was my father." Said Asgore. "After Asher had told me your name, guards took him from me and brought him to the dungeon, and needless to say, he didn't take kindly to trespassers; He ordered that the next morning, he be killed for his crimes."

* * *

"Father, please! You have to understand that this man-" I started.

"Nearly killed you and Toriel, broke into our home, killed two of our guards-" finished Jorin.

" _He had no choice, Father!_ Someone hired him to do this, or his family would be tortured or worse, killed!" I shouted. "Don't kill him and leave his family to fend for themselves!"

"The law is the law, Asgore. I cannot abide by the fact that someone tried to kill you, tonight. And he's a human, no less!" said Jorin.

"Please, Father! Just have him serve his time in the dungeon! He has a family, a daughter and a baby, as well as a wife in North Lennal! I even know the daughter's name, for pity's sake! They _need_ him!" I cried.

"I'm sorry, son. That's my final word." Concluded Jorin, heading towards the dungeon. "I need to do what is best our people. That's the sacrifice of being a good ruler."

"No, the sacrifice of being a good ruler is doing what's best for all people! Not just humans. Not just monsters! _Everyone!_ " I shouted, running after him.

"Asgore! The relation between Monsters and Humans is gone! We have to do whatever it takes to survive this war, and the more people like him we leave alive, the less likely we are to survive as a race." Said Jorin. "Killing him is the only way, Asgore!"

"Then you're no better than him." I said, glaring him down.

"Enough, Asgore. You are to go straight to your room, and remain there until the execution tomorrow morning. Is that clear?!" ordered Jorin.

"It is, but it is an order I cannot obey. I don't care if he's a human, and I don't care if he just tried to kill me! Someone in the world wanted us dead, and we should seek after him, not this man! He's someone's tool! Can't you see that?!" I pleaded. "If he knew us, he's likely a monster, just like us!"

"Guards…?! Take Asgore to his room, and stay there to make sure he doesn't leave." Ordered Jorin. "Post a guard at the windows to make sure he doesn't sneak out."

"You can't do this!" I shouted, as Freya and another guard dragged me down the hall. "You'll be sorry for this, one day! I hope you die on the battlefield!" Freya, upon hearing this, wrapped my arm around my back, and squeezed, dislocating my shoulder.

"Forgive my abusive conduct, sire, but I refuse to let you wish ill of your father, even with the circumstances." Said Freya, as I screamed in pain. After that, I couldn't fight to escape them, and they took me to my room. Toriel was shocked when she saw me thrown in like a sack of potatoes. She demanded that the guards let her through, but they said that, because she was not yet queen, she had no authority. Through the door, I heard words from Toriel's mouth that made me beam with pride.

"So long as I bear the crown of Anastasia Wilhelmina Dreemurr upon my head, bestowed upon me by the man in that room, you _will_ answer to me." she commanded. The guards turned to one another, and began snickering. Toriel's eyes narrowed, reached up to the guards' heads, and smashed them together.

"The next time I want to comfort my fiancé/husband, you'd better goddamn let me." she growled. "Are we understood, soldiers?!"

"Y-yes, ma'am! E-every time, mum!" said the guards, as Toriel pushed through the door into the room.

"He didn't listen, did he?" she asked. I shook my head.

"You thought he would, didn't you?" I asked sarcastically.

"I had my hopes, yes. So, when is he going to be… executed?" asked Toriel.

"Tomorrow morning. There's nothing we can do about it." I replied. "Freya dislocated my shoulder, so I can't do anything with a bad arm."

"Even after all that, they just hurt you even more…" sighed Toriel, her hands moving towards my shoulder and pushing in. With a loud _snap,_ my shoulder popped back into place, and Toriel began to heal the rest of my wounds.

"What would you do without me, Dreemurr?" she asked.

"Die." I replied simply.

"That's about right, and that's why I'm here. To keep you alive and happy." Toriel smiled.

"Tori, if we lose this war, can you promise me something?" I asked.

"Anything."

"Promise me you will never leave my side. No matter what happens." I requested.

"I won't, Asgore. I promise." Nodded Toriel.


	14. Banishment Of The Fool (Castle)

Geez, we just come from a family of broken promises, don't we, dear?" asked Sans, to which everyone around the table, collectively replied, "Shut up, Sans."

"Don't tell me you haven't broken one, Sans. I know you have." Said Frisk. "At least two."

"Name 'em. I'm horrible with promises." Grunted Sans.

"The Flowey Incident five years ago, when I asked you to keep quiet about it, and you told literally everyone." Grimaced Frisk.

"Hey, if I hadn't, you'd be dead at the bottom of a ravine in the Underground. And what's the second one, dare I ask?" asked Sans with a growl.

"I think you know, since it literally just happened a few weeks ago. In the cottage… when I was a kid… remember how you said you'd always be there for me? Well… I mean… I shouldn't hold you accountable for that one. If I hadn't left to find Asriel, none of it would have happened." Sighed Frisk.

"Honeybones, that was an accident. I don't think I'll ever be able to live that one down… Besides… We didn't know what would have happened. He just caught us all off guard…" said Sans.

"Just like he always did, way back when." Chuckled Asgore.

"Huh? What do you mean, dad?" asked Asriel.

"Well, Aberon had always been one for catching people off-guard. I mean, just look at what he'd done. People could have just been minding their own business, taking photos or videos with a camera, and he'd just jump right in-"

"Wait a sec, are you referring to… Oh! Wait! The first tape in Alphys' old lab! After you two said good night, and Mom said something about the video being too dark… there was a sound… a kind of rustling outside the door. Mom said she heard something and turned off the camera." Said Frisk.

"Ah… that old tape. Well, I think I should start off with the events before that night." Said Asgore.

It was two months after Asher's execution that Tori and I were wed. The wedding was simple and quick, given the situation that I had to be sent away for a month afterwards, to help with the war efforts in the east. Toriel insisted on going to the south for two weeks, to aid a few monsters with Ebrima. She returned before I did. Upon my return, about a month and a half later, I came home to a big surprise. As I pushed through the front gate of the castle, Toriel came out to greet me, her steps cautious as she made her way down the stairs, and immediately I knew something was going on, as she always ran down those steps. As she got closer, I noticed that she was slightly larger than when I had left her. Her hand was on her belly, and she was smiling at me.

* * *

"Hello, Gorey." She said.

"Tori? Are you alright? You're moving a bit slower than usual." I said.

"Oh, Gorey, I couldn't be happier…! So… do you notice anything different?" asked Toriel.

"Hmm… you got a haircut?" I guessed, noticing her shorter hair.

"Well, yes, actually, but that's not it." Toriel laughed.

"…Um… I know you're going to slap me for this… but… you packed on a few pounds?" I guessed again, before Toriel attempted to slap me, but I leaned back, and caught her hand between my fingers.

"Good attempt, dear, but the battlefield has made me wary." I grinned, before she grabbed my hand and placed it on her stomach.

"Pay attention, Gore, because it's just starting to get interesting." She said, before I felt something move slightly under my hand. My eyes widened; I knew what was happening now.

"H-how long have you-"

"About a month and a half. Remember when I had that little bug before I left for the south? Originally, I thought that it was just a stomach bug, but then, while I was on the trip, I began craving shrimp dipped in mayonnaise! I hate shrimp! So I went to Ebrima, and she confirmed that you and I are going to be parents! She asked me if I was ready this time, and I said yes before she was even finished with the sentence." Explained Toriel.

"Why didn't you write to tell me?! I would have come home sooner!" I shouted happily.

"I didn't want you coming home too early, where you weren't immediately needed. Besides, I wanted to be sure that everything was fine with the baby before I told you… Honestly, I'm still worried that… you-know-who… will find out, and come after us. As far as he knows this is just weight gain from me eating so much. But over the last few days, he's been eyeing me weirdly. I think he's catching on." Said Toriel worriedly.

"Tori, don't worry. If he wants to continue to stay in our Father's favor, and live in this castle, then he won't come anywhere near you. Right now… all you need to worry about is that little miracle growing inside of you." I smiled.

* * *

"Aaaaawwwww!" said everyone in the room, except Chara.

"Eeewww… corny as all hell…" she groaned.

"Chara! What's wrong with you?!" asked Frisk. "How can you say that about the gift of life?" Chara turned to Frisk, arms outstretched sarcastically.

"Look at me! Do I look like I care about the gift of life?! I'm _dead!"_ shouted Chara. Asriel burst out laughing.

"You know what's so funny?! That miracle was me!" chortled Asriel.

"I know it was, but the way he said it… Gah…! Just continue with the story, fluffybuns!" growled Chara.

"Hey! Only Tori can call me that." Grunted Asgore indignantly. "Anyway, where was I? Oh, right! Miracle of life!"

* * *

We told Father the news in private, and he was almost ecstatic about being a grandfather, despite how old he was getting. We spent the rest of the night celebrating. Tori stuck to juice and water, but still seemed insistent on eating curried pork and edamame. Weird cravings and all of that. Anyway, once we'd gone to bed, it was around midnight when I was awoken by Toriel with a video camera.

"Goooooorrey… Gooooooooorrrrrrrrreeeeyyy…" whispered Toriel. "Pssssst! Gorey! Wake up!"

"Mmm… What is it, dear?" I asked, still half-asleep. "…err… and why do you have that video camera?"

"Shush! I want to get your reaction!" smiled Toriel in the dark. "Gorey, dearest? What is my favorite vegetable?"

"Hmmm… Carrots, right?" I guessed.

"No, silly!" laughed Toriel. "My favorite vegetable is… Eda-MOM-e! Get it?" Normally, I would have laughed, but I was far too tired.

"…Go back to bed, dear." I groaned.

"No no no! Not yet!" laughed Toriel. "Now, if I were a dog, what breed of dog would I be?" I thought for a moment, and drew blanks.

"I don't know, Tori. What breed of dog would you be?" I asked groggily.

"I would be… a MOMERANIAN!" Toriel squealed, barely containing her laughter. I finally caved in, sat up in bed laughing, and hugged your mother. As I did, I felt something push against my stomach from within your mother.

"You really are excited about having this child, aren't you?" I asked.

I'm more excited about this than anything I've ever been before." Replied Toriel.

"You know, if you keep making jokes like this, you might become a famous MOMedian." I joked. Toriel pushed me away.

"No. Bad Asgore. Your punchline delivery needs work. I'm going to bed." Grunted Toriel.

"Oh, come on, Tori! That one was funny!" I whined, before Toriel reached out and booped my nose.

"I know, I'm just teasing you, Mr. Tongue." Smiled Toriel.

"Towi…"

"Good night, dear." Said Toriel.

"Good night, honey." I smiled back, as I started laying back in bed.

"Oh, dear… I think it's too dark for the camera to see anything…" said Toriel, looking at the screen on the side of the camera. Just before she shut it off, she heard a sound outside the door.

"Gorey. Get up." She said urgently.

"What now?" I asked tiredly.

"I heard something outside our door, now get up!" she hissed, shutting off the camera.

"Tori, you worry about the littlest things." I yawned, sitting up.

"Asgore!"

"Alright…! If it'll ease your mind, I'll go check." I said, getting out of bed and moving to the door. I opened the door, and found no one there.

"Hello? Hellooooo?" I called, stepping out of the room to look around. Just then, the door slammed shut behind me. I whirled around, and tried to open the door, only to find it locked.

" _Hey! Who's in there?! Open this door at once!"_ I shouted, as I pounded on the door.

* * *

"Hello, poppet." Smiled the intruder. I recognized his voice. I wanted to scream, but he covered my mouth.

"No no no, we can't have any of that." He said, as I tried to fight back, but with a snap of his fingers, I was unable to move. "Or that."

"Let go of me, you bastard!" I screamed through his hands.

"Oh, I'll let you go. After I take care of the parasite inside you." Said Aberon, drawing a sword and placing it on my abdomen, just as Asgore broke through the door, and saw what was going on.

" _Aberon! Step_ away _from my wife!"_ he shouted, tackling Aberon to the ground and punching him in the face. Because Aberon had lost concentration on me, the spell he'd cast was broken, and I ran from the room to go get help. But Aberon was overpowering Asgore, and as I heard Asgore call for help, I couldn't ignore his cries of pain. I ran back, hands blazing with fire magic, and I shot them at him. They knocked him off of Asgore, and he patted the embers that were beginning to singe his fur.

"Cute." He said, moving towards me.

"You want me, wonky horns, come and get me!" I shouted running from the room as fast as I could towards the garden. I eventually ran out of breath inside the hedge maze, and as I heard him coming, I held my breath as best I could. At that moment, it began to rain. I couldn't use fire magic; I was vulnerable.

"If he finds me, I'm dead." I thought to myself.

"Tooooooooriiiiiiiiii…" I heard Aberon calling me from behind. "You should know you can't hide from me." Suddenly, through the hedges, a pair of giant hands grabbed me around the head and breasts. Instinctively, I bit down on the fingers hard, drawing blood. As he recoiled, I sprinted out of the maze and ran to the first place I could find: The gardener's shed. Despite the smell of manure, and my inability to breathe, I stayed quiet. As his shadow passed by the shed, I held my stomach. My child would not be killed because of him.

"Oh, Tori, come now. Be reasonable. I'm trying to save you…! You honestly want a life with this flowery pushover, when I could have given you so much more?" he chided, testing the very limits of my patience. As I crouched down in the shed, I nudged one of the gardening tools off the rack, and everything came clattering down. My breath caught in my throat, as the door to the shed creaked open.

"Hmm… you know… I should have known you'd hide here." Smiled Aberon, stepping into the shed, but stopping as I ignited my hands with fire magic.

"Not a step closer!" I whimpered, shooting the fire magic at him, only to have him dodge. The fire magic hit a sack of dry leaves in the corner and set it ablaze. I gasped.

"Hmph… looks like you did my job." Grinned Aberon, running from the shed and barring it with a rake. I panicked and raced towards the door, but unable to open it. I looked around, as the smoke began to cloud my eyes. The windows were closed, and the smoke was building. With the last of my breath, I broke one of the window panes, and called for help, before I fell unconscious. The flames were getting closer, and I could just barely make out the shadow of someone breaking through the window, while another attempted to douse the flames with water magic, while yet another climbed through the window.

* * *

" _He tried to burn you alive?!"_ screeched Asriel. "He said he'd never harm you, back in Paradise!"

"Aberon was a liar. You know this as well as I do, Asriel." Said Frisk. "But who got through the window?! Certainly not Dad or Jorin! They're too big!"

"Well… Perhaps you remember Undyne's mother, Freya?" said Asgore.

"No way! A Fish Monster jumped into a burning shed to save another? And here, I thought _Undyne_ was hardcore! That's so badass!" squeed Frisk.

"She broke down the door and carried me out, before collapsing next to me. She was dehydrated, and the rain was slowly rehydrating her." Smiled Toriel.

* * *

"F-Fre…ya?!" I coughed.

"T-Take… it easy… H-Hey, J-Jorin… mind… using… some of that… water magic… on me?" gasped Freya, as Jorin doused her in a cloud of water. Freya sputtered and sat up.

"Christ, I mean, I didn't think it was possible to drown a fish!" growled Freya.

"Sorry, I'm panicking here! My daughter in law was trapped in a burning shed!" shouted Jorin. "Should we sweep the castle?"

"No need! I know exactly who's behind this." Said Asgore. "I'm going to kill him for this! This time, he's gone too far!"

"Asgore, you're alright!" I gasped, sitting up to hug him, before sputtering.

"Freya, get her to Central Receiving. I'm going after Aberon." Ordered Asgore.

"No need. Look, son. He came to clear the evidence." Said Jorin, pointing towards Aberon, who was coming towards the four of them with a sword in his hands. Noticing his father, he immediately sheathed his sword.

"I-I can explain-" he started, before Asgore bounded towards him on all fours like a beast.

" _I will_ _ **DESTROY YOU!**_ " he screamed, slashing Aberon across the face before Jorin could drag him off.

"Asgore! Control yourself! I have a more suitable punishment for him." Said Jorin.

"Father, I-" started Aberon, before Jorin slapped him across the face with the back of his hand.

"You are no son of mine. From this day forth, I have only one son." Jorin said, trying to hold back his tears.

"What?" asked Aberon, confused.

"You are henceforth banished from this castle, never to return or carry the family name." said Jorin. "You sent an assassin after your brother… and you have just made an attempt on my daughter-in-law's life, as well as my unborn grandchild. You deserve nothing."

"You can't do this to me! This is my _home!_ " begged Aberon.

"Not anymore. Freya, attack." Commanded Jorin, as Freya summoned a golden spear.

"Knock out or kill, Your Majesty?" she asked.

"I doubt his blood would give much nourishment to the flowers. So just knock him out and deliver him somewhere far from here." Snarled Jorin.

"Understood, my king." Smiled Freya.


	15. A Fatal Error

In the present day, all three of the Dreemurr children are staring at their mother in shock.

"Oh, my God! What happened after Aberon was banished? Was the baby okay?" asked Frisk.

"Um… Frisk? Hi…" waved Asriel.

"I know, but Mom must have inhaled a lot of carbon dioxide. That stuff's toxic if you get enough of it in your system. Were there any complications with Asriel?" asked Frisk.

"Thankfully, there wasn't enough in her system to harm her or Asriel, but it was enough to warrant a visit to the hospital." Said Asgore.

"But there's one thing I don't understand." Pondered Merigold.

"What is it, dear?" asked Toriel.

"At that time, he was still using normal magic, right? So, what could have caused him to get ahold of such dark forces?" questioned Merigold.

"Me."

Everyone turned to Gaster, who was holding his hands together tightly.

"You? But you never mentioned it before, Uncle Gaster!" stated Merigold.

"Until the whole incident occurred a few weeks ago, I had no memory of Aberon and what he had done the night he came to me. Now that I remember it fully… I can't get it out of my head." Groaned Gaster. "I trusted him. But he stole everything from me… including my… my wife. It was all my fault."

"Dad, tell us what happened. We won't judge you, I just want to know what happened to Mom." Sighed Sans.

"Well… the rain that Toriel talked about had evolved into a maelstrom. It was raining sideways, hail, thunder, lightning, high winds, you name it. Around 2 in the morning, a white dog flew through our window, startling us awake. We inevitably decided to board up, and keep the dog until the storm passed. He didn't have a tag, but he had a collar, so he had to belong to someone."

"Gaster, you're getting off-topic." Said Chara.

"Right, right… We were just finishing up with the boarding, around 3, when out of nowhere…"

* * *

 _*knock knock knock*_

"Now who would be out in this weather at this time of night?" asked Ebrima.

"Probably someone looking for shelter." I replied. "You stay here and get warm. I'll see who it is."

I walked to the door, looked through the eyehole, and saw Aberon, soaking wet and shivering. He was sitting on the porch, rather than standing. Immediately, I wanted to attack him, but I knew that Ebrima wouldn't let me, even with what I promised the last time I saw him. So, I made the first mistake of that night: Opening the damn door. As I swung the ebony wood door open, he turned and looked at me with a sadness that I'd not seen before.

" _What are you_ doing _here?!_ " I hissed. "Do you remember what happened the last time I saw you?"

"I do, and I'm sorry! Please, you have to help me, I have nowhere else to go!" he begged.

"You went with Plan C, didn't you?" I asked hotly, holding my forehead with my fingertips.

"How did you-"

"I've known you long enough to know how you work, Aberon. So, you got kicked out, did you?" I smiled.

"Not just kicked out; banished. From both the house and the family." Said Aberon.

"Jesus, Aberon. How far did you have to go before you fucked up that badly?" I asked.

"Gasty? Who's at the door?" asked Ebrima, moving to the hallway leading to the foyer. As she saw Aberon, she gasped, dropped the dog in her arms, and ran right to him.

"Aberon! Oh, you're soaking wet! Quickly! Come in, before you catch a cold!" she cried, pulling him through the doorframe by the hand.

"Ebrima, wait! You do realized what this man did to you, don't you?!" I shouted, but Ebrima ignored me, searching through the closet for a towel. The house now smelled of wet fur, and I was growing antsy.

"Here, lay on the couch, and I'll grab an electric blanket." Said Ebrima, directing Aberon to the couch.

"Ebrima, may I have a word with you? _Alone?_ " I asked firmly.

"Of course, dear!" grinned Ebrima with a chirp. "What's on your mind?"

"Kitchen, please." I said with a false smile. The two of us made our way to the kitchen.

"I don't know why you're bothered by him. I mean…" started Ebrima.

"Ebrima, that man is dangerous! Don't you remember what happened the last time he was here?" I hissed.

"Yes, that was about a year, and his actions, although extreme, were justified. And I can tell that he wants to change." Said Ebrima.

"But what if he hasn't? He was banished from the castle, tonight! No doubt he tried to kill someone, likely Toriel or Asgore." I said.

"Everyone deserves a second chance, Gaster. If he did try to kill someone, he's lost his way, and I'll be damned if I let him wander down a dark path. Kindness is the greatest weapon." Said Ebrima, looking at me with those beautiful eyes of hers. She turned to Aberon. "All his life, he's been cheated out of one thing after the other. He needs help finding his way. Please… let me help him find it… Would you give him one more chance? For me?"

"I would do anything for you, Ebrima, but this…? Jeez… I must be crazy for saying yes, but I'll let you try. However, he's to stay away from the gated area of the study. Who knows what'll happen if he gets ahold of those books?" I asked.

"Thank you, Gaster. I'll be sure to keep an eye on him." Grinned Ebrima, moving to the closet to grab the electric blanket for Aberon. I moved to Aberon's side.

"Alright, old friend, we've agreed that you will stay here until you can get back on your feet. But I want to make one thing clear: If you so much as lay a finger on Ebrima in anger, I _will_ kill you. And one more thing?"

"Y-Yes?" responded Aberon.

"That gated area in the study is completely, one-hundred percent off limits. You are not to go in there under any circumstances. Are we understood?" I instructed.

"What's in there?" he asked.

"That's for me to know, only. Do you understand?" I said.

"Sure." Said Aberon.

* * *

"Mistake number two: letting him into the house. Mistake number three: letting Ebrima have her way. Mistake number four: giving him the only electric blanket in the house. Mistake number five: leaving him alone for the night. And the worst mistake… Mistake number six… Telling him! About the GATED STUDY!" shouted Gaster, slamming his fists on the table, startling everyone.

"Jeez, Dad, calm down." Said Sans.

"No, I won't… because… it's because of these mistakes that Ebrima died!" yelled Gaster, breaking down into sobs.

"H-How? How did she die?" asked Papyrus.

"I… I need a moment." Cried Gaster.

"Take your time. I know it's hard." Said Frisk.

"I agree. Death is something that takes a while to get over." Said Chara.

"Both you and I would know all about that, Chara." Said Asriel. Chara turned to Asriel.

"Oh, yeah, we would… Asriel… I don't know if I ever apologized to you, but… I never wanted you to get hurt." She said. "If I hadn't come up with that stupid plan-"

"None of this would have happened. It was meant to happen that way. Fixed point in time; an event that cannot be changed, no matter how hard we try." Said Asriel. "Perhaps… what happened with Aberon was meant to happen, as well."

"I mean, KuBaba _did_ predict it… I just… never expected it to affect so many innocent people." Said Gaster, wiping his eyesockets with a handkerchief. He sniffed and coughed.

"You alright to talk, now?" asked Chara.

"Yes… I believe I am, now." Nodded Gaster.

* * *

Eventually, we went back to bed, and in the morning, we found Aberon's bed empty.

"Where'd he go?" asked Ebrima. "He didn't even fold the blanket."

"I don't know, but we'd better find him before-" I started, before a scream of agony echoed from the study.

"Oh, fuck no! He didn't…!" I growled, running to my study, Ebrima following closely behind. I pushed through the door to find Aberon on the floor, tendrils of green energy flowing into his head. The gate was wide open, and I knew what he'd done. I rushed towards the book on the floor, and picked it up, only to drop it; it was white hot in my hands, and it burned me.

"Aberon, do you know what have you just done?!" I screamed.

"Aberon, no! Stop! This isn't you!" shouted Ebrima.

"This power… Why… Why have you been hiding this from me?" asked Aberon in a hoarse whisper.

"It's not meant for you! It's not meant for anyone! If we hurry, we might be able to remove the knowledge before it-"

"Heh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You think I'm getting rid of this knowledge?! With this knowledge, I can end the war! I can become king! I can finally claim my place in this world!" laughed Aberon.

"Aberon, just be content with who you are! Please! You're better than this!" shrieked Ebrima, just as the tendrils of green energy subsided. Aberon sat up, and I stepped back, my hands flaring with blue magic.

"Don't make me fight you." I said. Aberon grinned, and his hands flared with black fire. My eyes widened.

"It's taken ahold of you, already. Very well. I regret that it's come to this, Aberon. But…" I said, summoning a Blaster. "I must say, this will be very interesting."

"I don't think so." Said Aberon, snapping his fingers. Immediately, the blaster that was floating behind my head moved to Aberon's side, and my hands went cold as the blue magic aura faded from around them.

"What the hell?! What have you done to me?!" I shouted.

"Simple. I just took your blue magic power for the next couple of hours. Now… to deal with the witnesses… starting with you." Said Aberon, sending a beam of energy my way from the blaster. I couldn't react in time, and the beam hit me dead on, sending me flying out into the field behind my house.

"Gaster!" screamed Ebrima, causing Aberon's attention to turn to her. "Stop it! Stop it, you monster! We took you into our home when you had nowhere else to go! Why?! Why are you doing this to us?!"

"Ebrima! Run! Stop talking to him and run!" I shouted, as Aberon sent a beam of energy hurtling towards Ebrima. Ebrima raised her hands, and a green bubble appeared around her. She was trembling with fear, but I could see fire in her eyes.

"Are you listening to me?! Run!" I shrieked, as the bubble around Ebrima began to crack. She turned to me in the field.

"I'm sorry." She said, as the barrier broke and the blast hit her squarely.

" _NO!"_ I screamed, my body surging with energy. I teleported to her side, and held her hand. Somehow, she was still conscious after the blast hit her, but her breathing was shallow.

"I should have listened to your lessons better, Gaster." She laughed weakly.

"No… no, don't talk like that, you're going to be fine, everything's going to be fine…" I whispered.

"Gaster… T-Tell me… d-did you do the procedure?" she asked, removing one of my gloves. As soon as she saw the hole, she smiled.

"Promise me… you'll take care of them." She sighed. "They need you."

"I can't do this without you!" I pleaded.

"You might have to." She said quietly… before looking around.

"Why can't I see…?" she asked, before falling unconscious in my arms.

"N-No! No, no! Ebrima, wake up! Wake up this instant!" I begged, but Ebrima would not move.

"Down in one hit, eh? What a waste of space." Chided Aberon. I turned to him, my eyes blazing with a fire I had never felt before.

"You… You killed her…" I growled quietly.

"Not quite… she'd be dust if I had." Grinned Aberon.

"She's not waking up! Why won't you listen! She's dead because of you!" I screamed, sending an orange magic barrage at Aberon. Caught off guard, Aberon took the hits, and began to bleed. He fell to his knees, as I continued my barrage.

"How does it feel?! _Huh?!"_ I shouted, before Aberon raised his hands and sent a wave of fire into the study, setting the books ablaze.

"It feels wonderful. I have what I need. And now… you are left with nothing. Just like I was." He smiled, grabbing a hold of my skull. I felt my mind going blank.

"What are you… doing?!" I sighed, before passing out.


	16. Murder Ghost and Reflection Upon The War

"I have no idea how long I was out for, but when I awoke next, I remembered nothing of what had happened. All around me, there were piles of ashes and burnt wood, but one thing was certain. Your mother was unconscious on the ground. I tried to wake her… but I failed. I checked her HP. It was extremely low, but not quite at zero. I took action and ran back to my lab at the castle. I kicked the door open without a care as to who was awake to hear it or not, and placed her in a machine, a healing tank. She was there for hours, but nothing changed. I went to my computer and did a scan. The results were always the same. I tried so many times, so many different healing solutions, but nothing would heal her." Moaned Gaster.

"She'd fallen down… hadn't she?" sighed Frisk.

"…I didn't want to accept it at first. I went through a whole week, trying everything I could think of to save her. I didn't sleep. I didn't eat. I was running myself ragged keeping her alive. But as the week came to a close, and with no changes to her health, I gave up." Said Gaster. "As soon as I emptied the tank… she crumbled. All that was left was a pile of dust and her scarf that she always wore, torn from the blast, but still easily repaired."

"Wait! Is that scarf-" Papyrus started to ask.

"Yes, Papyrus. The very same scarf you wear." Smiled Gaster.

"Now I know why you freaked out the first time I wore it. Same with Sans finding that old joke book in that chest when we were kids." Stated Papyrus.

"I remember that! I'd never seen him so mad before then." Recalled Sans.

"What are you talking about, Sans?" asked Chara.

"Oh! You weren't _around_ around, then. Well, you were in the Underground, but… A few weeks after Undyne brought me to you, Paps and I had found an old chest in our attic. We were curious little kids, so we opened it. There were pictures, books, a few love letters, a ring… some articles of clothing, including that scarf around Papy's neck. The whole thing covered his body at the time, cuz of how small he was. As for me, I took a liking to the joke books, which was actually the first time I read something humorous. Every other book I'd read was either metaphysics or chemistry. Yeugh…" explained Sans. "No offense, Dad, it just didn't hit me like the jokes did."

"None taken. You don't take everything after me, but you are very smart." Replied Gaster.

"Anyway, Dad found us up there, laughing and playing with everything in the chest, and he flipped. He yanked us out of there, put everything back in the chest, except the scarf, mainly Paps wouldn't let go of it, and he'd gotten tangled in it. He gave us a huge lecture about snooping around in other people's things, and how doing that could get us in trouble. I was grounded, but Paps got off easy because he was still a toddler. He didn't know any better."

"I still don't know any better, and I'm taller than you." Grinned Papyrus.

"Oh, you had to bring that up." Groaned Sans, wiping his hand across his face.

"Of course, brother! I always know how to get… _under your skin…_ " joked Papyrus. Sans stared at Papyrus, a smile growing on his face, before he caved and chuckled.

"Goddammit, Paps." He groaned.

"So there it is. That's how Ebrima died because of my mistakes." Said Gaster.

"No. You… You-You just stop right there. What happened was not your fault. If we really want to point fingerbones, it was really Mom's fault. She was the one who convinced you to let him in and give him a chance. Mom wanted the best for everyone, but her kindness was what got her killed." Said Sans. Gaster stared at his son as if he'd just shot someone with his Blaster.

"How could you say that about her?!" he asked.

"Because it's not _your_ fault. It was never your fault! …Look, Aberon tricked both of you. You were doing what you thought was right, and it ended up being a disaster, but not because of you. You did everything you could to save her. She didn't die because of you. She died because of Aberon." Shouted Sans.

"She was but one of the many lives that monster took." Growled Gaster. "Shame I didn't finish him, then."

"Gaster… can I ask you something?" asked Chara.

"What is it, Chara?" replied Gaster.

"If Aberon and Asriel's bodies hadn't been switched on that field between the mountains… would you have killed him then?" questioned Chara.

"Without a second thought." Smiled Gaster. "I almost killed him, then, with no regard as to who else would have been affected. Remember when I was dunking him in the fountain?"

"Yeah, I do." Said Frisk.

"I _may_ have held him under a little too long the first time." Grinned Gaster.

"So _that's_ why I felt like I was drowning…" sighed Asriel.

"After I lost Ebrima, I fell into a downward spiral of depression. It got so bad that one day I… never mind." Said Gaster.

"You were gonna end it… but something stopped you. What was it?" asked Sans.

"It was you two. You weren't born yet… but I saw you growing in the machines… and I knew someone had to be there for you… so… I carried on." Said Gaster. "Things got better two years after the war ended, surprisingly. I had something to live for again."

"And what was that?" asked Chara.

"My _family_. Sans was born two years after the war ended, and from the moment I first held him… It was like I was holding Ebrima again. You looked just like her, Sans. She was even small like you… though not as heavyset." Grinned Gaster. Sans shrugged his shoulders.

"Meh… I grew into it." He laughed. "Blame the ketchup."

"One more question, Dr. Gaster. If Ebrima was still alive today, do you think she'd be proud of her two boneheads?" asked Chara.

"Without a doubt. But can you answer the same question with the same answer, child?" asked Gaster.

"Uh… De…Depends on which parents." Replied Chara.

"Your biological parents, of course." Smiled Gaster.

"Don't even get me started with my mother. My dad? Maybe. But my _mom_? She'd have me strung up by the neck like some pig in a slaughterhouse!" growled Chara.

"Chara, how can you say such a horrible thing?!" asked Frisk.

"Were you born during the war? Do you remember _ever_ having anyone kick your ass because you believed monsters weren't the true enemy? Since the moment Dad was executed, my mother was a bitter old shrew! She blamed me and my brother for him dying, and she let us know that _every single day!_ And we couldn't tell anyone about it, because she warned us that if we said anything, she'd kill us, herself…! Why do you think we ran to Mt. Ebott? To escape her! That… That horrid, ignorant bitch of a woman!" Shrieked Chara, her voice echoing and distorting in a way that made her sound demonic. As her rant ended… Chara began to cry.

"If I had the choice… I'd go back and kill her myself." She wept.

"Chara, that's not right, and you know it." Said Frisk.

"I know it's not right, but that woman… she saw her own children as nothing more than useless, sniveling lumps of meat to use as her own personal punching bags, and if you were anything like me, you'd think of doing the same… Is she still alive? Do you know?" asked Chara.

"I don't know, and I don't care, because if she was alive, she would have come for me in the orphanage, but no one did. So there." Huffed Frisk.

"At least help me find her corpse-"

"CHARA…! That's enough. I understand that your past was bad, but you have to let it go. Desecrating a corpse just to feel some shred of relief is not only disrespectful; it's disgusting. She got what she deserved: Dying alone. Let that be enough." Said Frisk.

"But she deserves so much more than just that!" replied Chara.

"Chara, you're beginning to sound just like her!" shouted Frisk. Chara's eyes widened in anger, and her hands balled up into fists. She floated directly in front of Frisk's face, and glared into her eyes.

"Don't you _dare_ compare me to that miserable wretch of a woman! Compared to her, I'm tame!" snarled Chara, jabbing her finger into Frisk's chest.

"Says the one who made a deal with Aberon in an attempt to come back and harm innocent people." Smarted Asriel.

"You shut your mouth, flower boy!" snapped Chara. "You were in on it, too!"

"Only because you tricked me into it!" Asriel shot back. "Just like the first time!"

"That was an attempt to save your kind, and you know it…!" cried Chara.

"Oh, yeah, sure, killing humans instead of talking to them is a great way to waste your life. What a great plan, little Miss Murder. Face it, Chara, you _are_ like your mother, and no amount of denial is going to change that!" At that moment, Chara flung herself at Asriel, her eyes gone stark black and her mouth dripping black goop. Through a sheer burst of anger, Chara's ethereal body became solid, and she began laying into Asriel with punch after punch.

" _You take that back! Take it back!"_ screamed Chara.

"Hey, you two! Knock it off!" shouted Frisk.

"If you died once, you'll die again!" growled Chara, before an aura of blue magic surrounded Chara, lifting her off of Asriel and into the wall. Chara was shocked at the sudden pain that hit her spine, and she winced.

" _Back. Off."_ Ordered Sans.

"Geez… I forgot how hard you humans hit." Moaned Asriel, sitting up and wiping the blood from his nose.

"Sans… Asriel… you guys just sit back. I'll talk with Chara." Said Frisk, kneeling down in front of Chara's red body. Her eyes had begun to return to normal, and with her sleeve, she began to wipe the black goop away.

"Goddammit… I… I really am like her." She sighed.

"Chara… Look, no, you're not… things got heated and we pushed you too far. I was trying to prevent a relapse, but that's all that I got." Said Frisk. "I'm sorry-"

"No, you're not _sorry._ You're _right._ Both of you are. All my life, I'd been in denial, thinking I wasn't like my mother… trying my best not to become her. But in the end, when it gets right down to it… I'm hardly any better than she was." Sighed Chara.

"Chara, did she ever try to change her ways like you have with us?" asked Asriel.

"No…" groaned Chara.

"Did she ever try to make life better for others?"

"No…"

"Did she ever care for someone as much as you cared for Asriel?" asked Frisk.

"No… at least not that I remember." Replied Chara, shaking her head.

"Then you're not like her. You're your own person. You tried to change your ways, and you have! I've seen so much progress since the day you and I became one. You're not the same girl I remember from Waterfall. You're not a psychopath. Before today, you haven't hurt anyone without a reason in five years. You changed, Chara. For the better." Smiled Frisk. Chara stared up at Frisk blankly, before smiling faintly.

"You sound just like my brother… He always knew how to cheer me up." Said Chara.

"Well, I am a Corellian, after all. That has to count for something." Laughed Frisk. Chara breathed a small chuckle.

"Yeah… I guess it does." She said, turning to Asriel. "Sorry I beat on you like that, Azzy."

"Uh… I should have seen it coming. I have a bad habit of pissing people off and doing things without thinking them through…" he replied with a smile.

"Looks like you picked that up from me, fuzzball." Laughed Chara.

"Looks like it. At least I didn't fight back or lose my temper entirely. You might have lost if I'd gone Edgelord Hyperdeath." Grinned Asriel.

"Is that what you call those markings on your face when you get mad?" asked Chara.

"It's more of a reaction than anything." Said Asriel. "But if the eyes go black-"

"Okay, children, we've made up. We've discussed many things that made many people angry, and everything has resolved itself. Except for one thing." Said Toriel.

"Do we really have to go there again, Tori?" asked Asgore.

"You started this story, Fluffybuns. You're going to finish it, happy ending or not." Hissed Toriel.

"Fine… they know it already, but…"

"They want to know." Said Gaster.

"Dad, the only way we can move forward from this is if you tell us what happened on that battlefield… Please." Begged Frisk. Asgore stared at all of them, debating whether to tell the story again. He sighed.

"It was horrid. The war had gotten worse. Monsters were dying by the hundreds, each day. What's worse, the humans weren't even doing half of the killing. In fact, because of our numbers, we were fairly matched." Said Asgore.

"But if the humans weren't doing the killing, who were the ones doing it?" asked Chara.

"Us." Said Chillby, pushing through the dining room door, with Grag in tow.

"After Aberon had acquired the Dark Magic, he began… er… _recruiting_ other monsters, and even certain humans, to start a rebellion against Jorin. He said that Jorin had favored you from birth and denied him the right to kingship, because of you. This angered most of us, and we agreed to join his fight to retrieve the crown." Explained Grag.

"We did everything he asked. Be it slaughtering villages of humans or attacking our own kind. We hated it… but he made us believe that it was necessary, that we would be reward with similar powers to his if we succeeded… and now…" Chillby said, clenching her fists. "Now we know that he used all of us as his pawns. Every citizen of Paradise was either a soldier in his army or a child of one."

"Even after the war ended, we followed him. Stayed loyal to him like dogs. Worshipped him like he was a god. Now we know that he was a filthy warmonger." Said Grag.

"The rumors of a rebellion added more stress to Jorin and Asgore. At the time, as one of his generals, this brought much joy to my heart, and I wanted nothing more for the war to end. That's all I wanted. There were many friends I had during that war, and some were among those that I slaughtered." Said Chillby. "But despite the pain… I was forced to move on. We were all like that… especially Grag."

"Almost my entire species of goblin was wiped out. In small part by Aberon, but mostly by my own hand. It killed me… when I had to raise my spear to my own brother." Said Grag. "Aberon made it clear that it was either me or him, that I would die like the rest if I refused."

"So that's why you're the last one." Said Asriel, both in disgust and sympathy.

"Oh, fuck me… that's horrible…!" whimpered Frisk.

"And all of this was done just to get their goddamn attention." Said Grag.

"And eventually… you got your wish." Said Asgore. "I remember… We had sent a scout in to infiltrate his ranks and find out his next attack… Once informed, Jorin ordered a small battalion to handle the footsoldiers while we dealt with their leader, as we did not know it was Aberon. At first, I refused, because Toriel was reaching her due date within the week, and I wanted to stay by her side. Jorin denied me that, and required that I go. Toriel assured me she'd be fine, and insisted that I leave with Jorin to protect our son. After a two-day march to the base of Mt. Overlook, we found nothing but black fire and charred corpses."


	17. Death Of The King

"I-I don't understand! We were told by our scouts that the invasion would happen today! At this very moment! Did they attack sooner?!" I panicked.

"They must have. There can't be any other explanation for this absolute massacre. East Squadron, check for survivors. West Squadron, try and put those fires out. The rest of you! Follow us! We're going to scout ahead, see if we can find any of the monsters who did this!" ordered Jorin, heading further into the village. I caught up with him, and kept my ears open in the hopes that I would hear something.

"Father, I've never seen flames burning like this. Look at the color of it. Black with a purple center. If it weren't for the purple, I'd have mistaken them for shadows." I said.

"Whoever's behind this is using Dark Magic, son, so be on your guard." Said Jorin, as he held the trident firmly in his hands. My fur stood on end.

"D-Dark Magic?! But I thought that stuff was just a rumor! A story passed around a campfire to scare children!" I trembled.

"Well, are you scared now?" asked Jorin.

"Now that I know it's real… I'm more concerned about who's using it. No one in their right mind would dabble in that stuff if they knew the risks behind it!" I said, fingering the handle of my sword lightly.

"Remind of the risks, son. I'm an old man." Said Jorin, turning to me. From his expression, I knew he was testing me, but I didn't forget to express my outrage.

"Father, how could you even think that this was the time for a test?! Do you think I'm behind this?! What motivation would I have to do something like this?!" I shouted.

"I never said that. I just want to see what you know." Replied Jorin. I growled, and jumped at the sound of the guards. They'd found someone.

"Son, pay attention." Urged Jorin.

"Dark Magic is a fate worse than death. It corrupts the Soul of the person who uses it, and kills them over time without the proper energy to maintain it. A human Soul can use it for years without hardly feeling any effect at all, but a Monster? Only by extracting the energy of the Human Soul's traits can they stay alive. It takes many humans, at least five, to survive a month as a Monster who uses Dark Magic." I recited, as if from memory. "They must be powerful to have caused such devastation. There are so few monsters like that, though; Who would do such a horrible thing?" Just then, all around us, a maniacal laugh rang out. Crows that were flocking on the unburnt branches scattered into the sky.

"Heh ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! Well, I must say that it's about time I got your attention!" said the voice. "Do you know how many villages my rebellion burned before I finally garnered the attention of you idiots? How many innocent lives lost in the name of your war, just so I could keep myself alive long enough to see you both burn?"

"Who are you?! Why are you doing all of this?!" shouted Jorin.

"Who am _I_? Who are _you?_ Does it really matter, anymore? I have no name to anyone, anymore." Replied the voice with disdain. "You made sure of that."

"Stop giving us the runaround! Tell us who you are! Clearly, you're a Monster! But what have we ever done to you to cause such senseless bloodshed?!" I cried.

"You've taken everything from me. Both of you have. It's time for justice to be dealt, and I don't like to be kept waiting. Meet me at the base of Mount Overlook. But I must warn you that only one of the three of us will live." Said the voice, fading off into the distance. "You go to your graves."

"Father… what do we do?" I asked. "Do we face him? Are we doomed to die at the hands of this Monster?"

"Son, I want you to listen to me, and I want you to listen well: From this moment forward, you are to do exactly as I say. If I tell you to fight, you fight, and if I tell you to stop, you stop. But most importantly, if you are told to run, you will run. It does not matter if I'm about to die, as my age should have done it long ago. But you are young. You have a child on the way… and I would hate to see him grow up without a father to guide him." Instructed Jorin.

"Father, I will not abandon you. If we are to die, then we die together!" I replied.

"Asgore! We cannot leave this country, our race, without a king!" shouted Jorin.

"But I can't lose you! I'm not ready to do this on my own!"

"Asgore, it may not come to that. I'm just preparing for the worst. Besides…" said Jorin, turning to me. "I want you to look at my face and tell me that I shouldn't step down. I've been through enough. If today is my day to die, I'll die fighting and I won't give up."

"Neither will I! We can do this! He doesn't know who he's messing with!" I shouted with pride.

"That's the spirit! Now come! The base of the mountain isn't far from here. Only a mile." Smiled Jorin, leading the way towards the mountain looming overhead. We left the soldiers behind to find the survivors and douse the flames. But once we reached the mountain… we were shocked to find the one behind it. Sitting on a throne made of stones carved from the mountainside… was Aberon.

"It took you long enough. What, did you have to slow down for the old man?" he sassed, grinning down at us from his throne.

"Aberon?! You're behind this?!" I shouted in disbelief.

"Well, of course, I am! It doesn't take a genius to figure out that the leader of a Monster Rebellion was the very one you banished, and stripped of his title!" growled Aberon, standing up from his throne. "You left me with nothing, Jorin, and you took what little I had left, Asgore."

"You did it to yourself, you fool!" grunted Jorin.

"What you're doing now is going to kill you! You have to stop before it's too late!" I begged, before Jorin started descending the staircase leading to his throne. "Evil or not, you're still my brother, and I don't want to have to kill you!"

"Oh, you want me to stop, do you? Then give me back what's mine: The trident, the throne, everything you took from me. Including her." Ordered Aberon. "And don't worry about the child; I'll take care of the little parasite." I could tell from his tone that he intended to kill our son, and I drew my sword, my arms trembling.

"I can't do that, Aberon, and you know why. It chose me, not you, and I _can't_ change that! What don't you understand about fate?! You can't change it!" I cried.

"I won't ask again." Said Aberon, summoning a black fireball.

"You will not take my wife." I growled. "And I will never bow to someone who holds their subjects in such contempt."

"You disappoint me, brother." Said Aberon.

"My brother's dead, and whatever good was in him is dead, too." I replied, as Aberon threw the fireball at me.

"Then you will die like the rest." Said Aberon, jumping from the staircase towards me, a blade appearing in his hands as if from nowhere. I deflected the fireball, and as I did, our blades clashed. Aberon grinned as he pushed against me.

"What's wrong, Azzy? Surprised to see your brother winning?" asked Aberon.

"Winning? The battle just started!" I laughed, pushing Aberon off me, and kicking him in the knee. Aberon backed off into the forest, and sent a hail of black fireballs my way as I gave chase. But what was odd about them was that they weren't even aimed at me. Then I realized.

"Dad! Move!" I called back to Jorin, just as the fireballs hit him in the body. I attempted to run back towards him, but Aberon grabbed me by the hair.

"Thought you would have cut this by now." Laughed Aberon, throwing me into a nearby tree. As I regained my senses, I saw Aberon running towards me, blade in hand. I ducked, and moved forward, swiveling around to catch him in the back with my sword. The blood fell to the ground from the wound in his back, staining his fur a murky black.

"Point for me, you old goat." I rasped.

"Point for you." He grinned, as the fireball I had deflected hit me in the back. The pain was unlike anything I had ever felt before, and I screamed as I fell to my knees.

"Game set for me. Now, to finish you off." Said Aberon, snapping his fingers. A mess of vines rose from the ground and ensnared me, forcing my body to the ground. I couldn't move.

"You cheated!" I yelled, struggling against the vines.

"There were never any rules." Said Aberon, raising his sword. As he brought it crashing down, metal rang against metal, as Jorin's trident blocked Aberon's blade.

"You fight your king, now, worm." Growled Jorin, spinning the trident in his hand and moving towards Aberon with a vicious grimace. Aberon smirked, and focused his attention on Jorin. While the two of them fought, I struggled against the vines to try and break free, but the vines only got tighter. It was then that I realized that the more I struggled, the tighter they got. So, I relaxed my muscles, and the vines began to loosen. But they didn't release me. I continued to think… then I realized. The weather. It was raining, and if the vines had loosened when I relaxed, that could only mean one thing.

"Devil's Snare… Of course! Sunlight!" I realized, summoning a small fireball in my hands. I looked away. "Pyrus Solus!" The fireball blazed with the strength of the sun, and the vines dissolved. I got up quickly, and made my way towards Jorin and Aberon. Jorin was having trouble keeping on his feet, and if it kept going, Aberon would surely kill him. As I made my way towards Aberon, he smiled, and pushed my father away. His fingers began to spasm and crackle with electricity, and he pointed them at me. For a split second, I realized that I almost wouldn't have time to dodge, and there was no way I'd be able to take a blow of that magnitude. It was then that I saw Jorin move in front of Aberon.

"No!" I shouted, as the electricity shot through Jorin and out the other side. I ducked, and I felt the heat of the electricity pass over my body. I looked up and saw him falling to the ground. I leaped forward and caught him. Quickly, I summoned a wall of fire to keep Aberon at bay, and I looked down to my father.

"Permission to run, now?" I asked. "I have to get you out of here!"

"No, son… I won't make it… stay… and fight…" groaned Jorin.

"No, Dad… Please…" I cried, seeing his body beginning to crumble.

"You have to stay strong… Asgore. Put the people first… and before all else… Take my trident… and don't… let him… win… can you do that for me?" he asked. I nodded, tears falling from my eyes.

"I won't let you down… I promise." I wept.

"I love you, my son…" sighed Jorin, before his body scattered to the wind.

"I love you, too, Dad…" I whimpered, as the trident fell upon my father's armor, and clattered to the ground. It turned grey, and as it did, I fell upon it and cried. For the first time in my life… I had cried without any control. In my sobs, over the roar of the fire, I heard laughter. I turned and saw Aberon brushing the flames aside.

"What a fitting end for such an old man. It must be quite the _shock_ for you, but don't worry… You'll meet him soon enough, along with our dear departed mother." Laughed Aberon, raising his sword and bringing crashing down towards me.

"No…!" I grunted, as I quickly grabbed the trident, sidestepped the swipe, and caught the blade between the prongs. I rotated it and snapped the blade into pieces. Once the blade was taken care of, I rounded on Aberon, sword in hand, and cut off his right leg. Aberon fell to the ground, screaming loudly.

"How are you so fast?!" yelled Aberon, as I cut him across the eye.

"You murdered my father! Killed my people! You even made an attempt on the life of my wife and child! Death is too goddamn good for you!" I shouted, ramming the trident into the ground.

"What are you doing?!" grunted Aberon.

"From this day forward, you and your subjects are hereby banished from the Surface World, never to have either Human or Monster plagued by your tyranny again! No one will remember you!" I screamed, eyes glowing as a surge of Magical Energy shot through me. The ground beneath Aberon cracked and shattered like a mirror, swallowing him and his subjects with him. As I saw the ground open beneath him, I saw in his eyes something I'd never seen before: Fear.

"You haven't seen the last of me, Asgore! I'll be back, and when I return, I'll find you!" screamed Aberon, as the earth sealed itself up again. I stood there, grasping the handle of the trident, before falling to my knees. I laughed, and fell on my back, drained of energy.

"Did I just stop a rebellion with Forbidden Magic?" I asked myself. "All those who followed him… Oh, God… what have I just done?!" I turned back to the pile of metal and ash that was my father. Separated from the rest of the armor, a few feet away, was a single golden crown. I picked it up and held it in my hands as I began to cry again. I sat there in the rain, the tears mixing with the drops falling from the sky for what felt like hours. Eventually, I heard footsteps moving towards me from the underbrush. I looked up, my eyes red, and saw a group of soldiers. Freya was among them, and when she saw the armor upon the ground… she knew.

"Asgore, what happened?" she asked.

"Aberon… He was behind it all. And my father… my father fell, protecting me. And Aberon… I… I killed him. He's dead." I lied.

"Do not feel any guilt, Your Majesty. You did what was right. Now… we must return to base camp, and plan our route home-" started Freya.

"Not before I have a chance to-" I began, clutching at my father's armor.

"Your Majesty… we have to keep moving."

"I don't care! A king deserves to be remembered!" I cried, lifting the armor off of the ground, and heading back towards the throne. My men followed me there, and waited for me at the base of the staircase. As I made my way to the top, I began to wonder… was it all worth it? All this bloodshed? All this death? All this pain, just for the sake of power? When I finally reached the top, I placed my father's armor upon the throne, and knelt down.

"Power isn't worth anything if this is all it would bring." I sighed, tears falling from my eyes. "A king serves his people, not the other way around. From this day forward, I will not strive for power or control, but for the safety and strength of my people. I will end this war, father. No matter what it takes."

I stood up, and looked down at the armor. The rain fell upon it, and made it glisten, the drops falling from the hole in its center.

"Why does the death of a king always fall on a rainy day, my dear Zamiel? I fear it a curse among royal lines. But after rain always comes sun, my fair maiden, and new rays of light doth shine." I recited. " _Heartfelt, Act III, Part III._ It always was your favorite story of mine, Father." I saluted.

"Rest in piece, my father. My King."


	18. Embrace of my Brother

In present day, everyone at the table was crying.

"You did that for your father?" asked Toriel, wiping the tears from her fur. "Asgore, that's so sweet."

"I gave him a proper sendoff. I couldn't have just left him there." Said Asgore.

"I bet you must have felt some shred of guilt." Said Chara.

"Why do you say that?" asked Asgore.

"He died protecting you. And you hoped that he'd die on the battlefield after your fight with Asher." Said Chara. "How did you feel, remembering that?"

"I felt like I jinxed it… like I was responsible for it… and I was… The entire trip home, it rained. Sometimes, it rained so hard, we had to stop for hours on end. I thought that we would never make it home, that we'd get caught in some kind of flood. But when I saw the spires of this castle, the rain… it stopped, and as we approached the castle, the sun began to shine."

* * *

"Home, sweet home, eh, Asgore?" smiled Freya.

"It's a welcome sight after what we endured." I replied. "I just hope Toriel's alright."

"I do, too. Hey, she was due before we left, right? Think she's had the kid, yet?" asked Freya. Just as Freya said that, I heard an ungodly howl come from the castle. Even from the fields, it was audible. Freya's eyes widened.

"Speak of the devil. You'd better run, King-" she started, before noticing that I was already halfway there on all fours. Freya scoffed, and grinned.

"What are we gonna do with him, boys?" I heard her say, but I didn't care. I had to reach Toriel before the baby was delivered. I made it there in time for the final stretch of the labor process.

"As… gore… You made it…!" gasped Toriel.

"You think I'd miss this? After that howl you let loose? I heard it from the fields outside of town!" I grinned, grabbing her hand.

"Alright, miss Toriel, just one or two more pushes should do it." Said Gaster.

"Come on, honey, you can do it!" I supported, squeezing her hand.

"He's… fucking… _huge! AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGGHHH!"_ screamed Toriel.

"Come on, honey, one more, he's almost out!" I smiled.

"Oh, Mother, give me strength for this…!" gasped Toriel, before straining with one final push. At the other end of the bed, I heard the small bleating of a baby. I turned and saw Gaster pull a small goat from Toriel. It was pink and white, little nubs on the top of his head already formed.

"He'll be a strong one, I can tell, Asgore." Said Gaster. "Look at him… so tiny… Asgore… This is the miracle of life."

"Is… is he alright…?" grimaced Toriel. "Is there anything wrong with him?"

"No, Your Majesty. He's perfectly fine. I'll cut the cord, clean him off, and then you can hold him." Smiled Gaster. As Gaster did his job, Toriel turned to me.

"Are you alright?" I asked sheepishly.

"If I'm honest…? It feels like someone stabbed a sword through my ass… but I've been through worse. How about you? I thought Father would be here, too." Replied Toriel.

"Tori… Father… Father died on the battlefield three days ago." I moaned.

"Asgore… How…? How did he die?" she asked.

"Killed by the leader of the rebellion. You'd never believe it if I told you, but it was Aberon." I breathed.

"Killing his own father… that man had no heart at all." Sniffled Toriel. "Is he dead?"

"I killed him myself. Out of anger and pain." I said.

"Asgore…"

"It's done. There's nothing we can do but move forward." I said, as Gaster came back with the baby.

"He wouldn't stop crying. I think he wants his mother." He said, as the baby reached blindly for the two of us. Toriel leaned forward quickly, and took the baby in her arms. She stared down at him proudly, as the baby's eyes opened, shining a deep emerald green.

"He has your eyes, Asgore…!" grinned Toriel.

"And your little tuft of fur on his head. Oh, he's adorable…!" I gushed, tickling him under the chin. The baby began to laugh before devolving into a cry.

"Oh, I didn't mean to make him cry…" I sighed, pouting.

"Asgore… you crybaby. Here… what should we name him?" asked Toriel.

"Well… I thought Darius would be a strong name." I said.

* * *

"You were _not_ going to name this precious little cinnamon bun _Darius!_ " cried Chara and Frisk, hugging Asriel's face tightly and petting him.

"Guys…! This is embarrassing enough as it is!" grunted Asriel. " _Please_ don't add to it."

"We're your sisters, Asriel. We have that right." Smiled Chara, kissing him on top of his head.

"Thankfully, I talked him out of it." Grinned Gaster.

"It was actually him doing that that gave us the idea for the name." said Asgore.

* * *

"Dreemurr, that's a terrible name!" said Toriel.

"Well, what else should we name this Asriel baby?" asked Gaster.

"What did you say?" I asked.

"It's your names. I combined them together… it's something Ebrima did. She was the one that did that for parents. Combine the two names and-" explained Gaster.

"Asgore, that's it! Asriel! Asriel Rayburn Dreemurr! Rayburn's from my father!" smiled Toriel.

"Why didn't I think of that?" I asked.

"Because you suck with names." Said Gaster flatly, his expression flat as he began leaving the room to change out of his scrubs.

"Indeed I do… Asriel, it is…" I said. "Our little Asriel."

* * *

Asriel's face was glowing red with embarrassment, and his hands were trying desperately to cover it up.

"Oh, my gosh! Stop _gushing_ over me!" he stammered angrily, as Chara grinned down mischievously at him.

"I wonder if there are some albums of you as a baby, Azzy?" she smiled. Asriel shot up from the table.

"You shut your ethereal ass up before I come over there and kick it!" He shouted, causing Sans and Chara to burst out laughing.

"Come on, kiddo! Take a joke!" grinned Sans, wiping a bulbous tear from his eyesocket. "It can't be that bad! I bet you were adorable!"

"He was! I even have some photos in the other room!" twittered Toriel. "I'll go get them if you wa-" As Toriel made a move towards the door, Asriel surrounded Toriel with Blue Magic.

"Now, look! I've put up with all this talk about my birth and all the gushy nonsense that came with it for this long…! Please… for the love of _GOD…_! Do _not_ get the album. Or so help me, I'll let Flowey take over." He threatened Toriel, before noticing that Chara was missing.

"Frisk, did Chara go back into your-" started Asriel, before he heard sounds coming from the library. "Oh, no, no, no, no!"

Asriel darted from the room and into the family library, but what he saw made his anger melt away. Chara was knelt down over an album, the expression on her face somber. On the pages were photographs of Asriel, growing up over the years. Learning to walk, making flower crowns with his mother, slices of pie with candles on the birthdays… each page made Chara feel… something she had never felt quite so strongly before: Love. Not the level of violence that most would have associated her with, but genuine love. It made her feel so strongly, that she forgot the fact that she was crying. She turned to Asriel, the tears sliding down her cheeks, her breathing shaky from emotion.

"Oh…! Asriel…! I… I was just…" sputtered Chara, quickly shutting the album and wiping the tears from her face. Asriel stepped into the room and moved to Chara's side. He sat down and opened the album again to the first page.

"Were there any embarrassing ones?" smiled Asriel quietly.

"A-A few… b-but I don't really… care about those." Stammered Chara.

"Did you find the first birthday pie picture? The one where I had the bowl on my head and the pie was smushed on the tray?" asked Asriel.

"That's what that one was? That was my favorite one! You looked so silly…" chuckled Chara.

"Yeah, I did look pretty silly in that one… Mom and Dad weren't too happy. They had to clean the butterscotch out of my fur." Said Asriel, his tone contemplative. Chara noticed this, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"Asriel, I'm sorry I made fun of you in the dining room." She said.

"It's fine. Actually… looking at these photos is… actually… really comforting to me… It just shows what time can do…" he said, looking up at Chara. "…to monsters like us." Chara looked at him, and then back down at the album. She smiled.

"You're right. Time really does change the monsters… doesn't it?" Chara said sadly. Asriel followed Chara's gaze and sighed.

"Look at us, Chara… I'm older and taller… and… you're still just like you were." Asriel said. Chara laughed for a few seconds.

"Yeah… I am, aren't I?" she sniffled. Asriel smiled, and turned the pages of the album.

"But no matter how much time passes…" he said, stopping on a picture of Chara and Asriel holding bouquets of buttercups in front of their parents.

"We're always still kids at heart… right?" he said. When Chara saw the photograph, she was already close to breaking down. But when Asriel said that… Chara broke into a fit of gross sobbing. As she wept, Asriel wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. Chara buried her face in Asriel's chest, and Asriel began to cry, as well, wrapping his jacket around Chara's head so no one would see her cry. From the entrance to the library, Frisk and Sans were watching, as were Toriel and Asgore, tears in their own eyes.

"Oh… Azzy… Why do you have to be such a tearjerker?" Frisk thought to herself.

"Like father, like son… huh, Gorey?" sniffed Toriel.

"Indeed…" said Asgore shakily.

"You both had bad pasts… but you made the future brighter because of them." Said Frisk.

"If he's that much like me… I'm sure he'll be fine when my time comes." Sighed Asgore.

"That's not for a while, Gorey. Let's just enjoy the present… and all the blessings that have come with it." Smiled Toriel, as the group stared at Asriel and Chara, weeping. Sans turned from the group, and went back to the dining room. Papyrus was standing over Arial and Segoe in their pen.

"Hey, Paps…?" asked Sans.

"Sans? What's wrong? Why are you-" started Papyrus, before Sans raised his arms up to his brother.

"I may have done it when we were kids, but… do you think you could hold me?" asked Sans.

"Oh, Sans…" smiled Papyrus, bending down to pick up his brother. Sans wrapped his arms around Papyrus' neck.

"Glad you're here, bro." cried Sans… before stroking the scarf around his neck. "You too, Mom." Papyrus, upon hearing this, squeezed his brother tightly.

"Same here… brother… After all… nothing stronger than the bond between brothers, right?" asked Papyrus. Sans hiccupped a small chuckle.

"Ain't that the truth…?" he grinned.

*The End*


End file.
